Forbidden Love
by wolf's paradise
Summary: They had been together once. Their love had been the talk of the town. But he had cheated on her, so she left. Now she's back in town, and there's a secret behind their lost and forbidden love. One that had destroyed them. Other pairings included.
1. Day 1

**A/N:** Hey guys! It's me again, with yet another story. Honestly, I can't seem to keep all of these ideas out of my head! Ugh, I know I'm technically not supposed to publish this, at least, it shouldn't be published until it's all finished. Goes to show how that works out huh? lol

Well, this is my first AU story in the sense that there is no ninja activity or jutsu whatsoever. I've been thinking about this idea for a while now. So, like so many other stories (and ideas) of mine, I had to start writing it. I really don't have the time to keep this one up along with _Lost in the Rain_, but you know how that works… Eh, well, it doesn't. And this story has not been edited (well, it has by me, but I'm not the best editor of my own work) so just bear with me! Let me know if you see anything that I need to fix, though!

This story has a playlist going along with it, too! I have picked a number of songs for the entire story, but each chapter has their own one or two songs pertaining to it. I'll put a bit of the songs or just mention them right before the chapter starts. And thanks to my _Lost in the Rain_ readers for answering my question on whether or not to post this story. Also, I really do not know how often I'll be able to post the chapters, but I'll try to post them as soon as possible. Thanks everyone!

**Title:** Forbidden Love

**Genre:** Romance/Angst/Friendship/Hurt/Comfort

**Summary:** They had been together once. Their love had been the talk of the town. But he had cheated, so she left. Now she's back in town, and there's a secret behind their lost and forbidden love…

00000

_I'm here alone… I didn't want to leave… My heart won't move cause it's incomplete… Wish there was a way that I can make you understand… But somehow I'm still alive inside… You took my breath, but I survived… I don't know how, but I don't even care…_

_How do you expect me to live alone with just me? Without you? 'Cause my world revolves around you… It's so hard for me to breathe… You take the breath right out of me… You left a hole where my heart should be… Is it over yet?_

_I can't win._

Songs: _No Air_ (duet by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown) and _Breath_ by Breaking Benjamin

00000

1. Day One

Sakura stood at the welcome sign, her eyes taking in the small town of Konoha. A reminiscent smile curved her lips. This town had been her home. She had grown up here with all her friends; Konoha had changed little. The townspeople seemed to use cars a bit more (most of the roads were paved now), but that still didn't change the fact that many people walked. It wasn't full of too many people, but the people that did occupy Konoha liked to have their space. Many lived on the outskirts of the general stores and restaurants, while a few lived in the apartments above the businesses they owned.

A light breeze sifted through the air, and Sakura closed her eyes. She missed the weather of Konoha; Suna's desert climate was harsh and dry, but Konoha seemed to have the perfect balance of the seasons. She opened her eyes, and so many memories flitted through Sakura's mind—visiting this shop with friends, or pranking one of the storeowners, but one memory decided to plague her. It was the most recent memory of Konoha she had, and she wished that she could forget it.

She sighed heavily, pulling out her phone and dialing a number. She didn't need a reference; it was a number she knew by heart even after such a long time. However, her friend probably wouldn't recognize Sakura's number since she had changed it when she moved to Suna. She lightly touched the phone to her ear, hoping that her friend would pick up. After all, Sakura had made a promise to stop by her old town to visit should she be passing through the area.

Yamanaka Ino—Sakura's best friend. The blonde had a fiery personality with ice-blue eyes to match, a killer-shaped body, and a tendency to be known as the town's biggest flirt. Unfortunately, Ino's personality had worn off on Sakura. Her eyes were sparkling mix of mint and jade green, but she had been ridiculed when she was younger because of the color of her hair. It had been a rare genetic trait that her mother had passed on to her. Though her mother didn't have pink hair, Sakura did.

A soft smile sifted across the girl's face, her mind flipping through all the trouble she and Ino had gotten into. They had met at a park when they were six, and had been best friends ever since. Because of her friendship with Ino, the constant jeering of the other kids stopped. As time flew by, Sakura grew a personality of her own, though Ino had been an influence in the pink-haired girl's life. Sakura developed a powerful punch (she had decided to try kick boxing and ended up sticking with it), and many of the boys her age were afraid of provoking her anger. She didn't have too much control over her temper, especially when people dared to insult her.

Their friendship caused distress in Konoha. They were constantly pranking the boys and the older generation, and had become experts at escaping capture. Once, they had accidentally run a chainsaw through someone's window and part of the wall, not to mention their prized bouncing ball had slipped from their fingers to break a few precious items in the house. There were so many others, but Sakura remembered that one the most. It was her favorite memory. After all, not many people expected two twelve-year-old girls to ransack a house with a bouncing ball and a chainsaw.

Her thoughts were cut off when the phone ringing stopped. "Hello?" a groggy voice answered.

Sakura laughed, using the friend's nickname that they were sure to recognize. "Hey, Pig. When are you gonna pick up your friend?"

Silence reigned on the other side of the phone until, "Forehead?" Ino screeched into the phone. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was on my way to Kiri in the Water Country to see about a teaching position, but they cancelled my interview until next week. So, I decided to drop by for a week; after all, I did make a promise to my best friend, didn't I?" Sakura smiled.

"I just… I can't believe you're actually visiting. It's been a long time…"

"Yeah…"

"Six years. Can you believe it?"

Sakura laughed. "Nope."

Ino laughed, too. "Stay there, Forehead. I'm coming to get you in just a bit."

"Take your time, Ino-pig. I'm actually just enjoying the view."

"Hmph. Well, which side are you on?"

"I'm on the south side near the founders' monument. I'll be standing near the _Welcome to Konoha_ sign. And you know I shouldn't be hard to spot. I think the pink hair will definitely give me away," Sakura joked. Ino was known to be completely blind sometimes, even if the person were standing right in front of her.

"Yeah, yeah, Forehead. Say all you want, but you know that I'm still better than you—in looks _and_ in career."

"We'll see about that."

"Whatever. See ya, Forehead."

"Bye, Pig."

Sakura smiled. Though she and Ino bickered constantly and rarely agreed about anything, Sakura dearly missed her friend. Ino had been the best friend for which anyone could have asked. Ino had always been there to watch her back, and had never let the pink haired girl down, even when she had decided to leave Konoha to pursue a better career than the one she had been about to study.

_But I left because of him…_

A frown turned down the corners of her lips. It was true that _he_ had been the cause of her untimely departure from Konoha. She liked what she had accomplished, but she could never fully shove _him_ out of her mind. _He_ stayed back there like a plague, slowly eating away any sorrow she had left, leaving only bitterness and anger. Even so, she could not deny that she still loved _him_.

_Hurry, Ino,_ Sakura pleaded. She needed something to occupy her thoughts. She didn't need to think about _him_ or anything else that had happened between them. She grunted in frustration, her eyes coming to rest on the founders' monument to her left.

There were five faces on the wall. Two were carved for the actual founders, but the other three had been cut to remember the leaders of the town that had helped to better Konoha. She had the privilege of knowing the current leader, and she had influenced Sakura to pursue the medical career.

Sakura sighed, frustrated. She shouldn't have come here. As much as she wanted to visit Ino, it was impossible to avoid everyone else. It wasn't that she didn't like all of her old friends; it was just that everyone else knew _him_. Everyone was a good friend with _him_, and it would be difficult—so difficult—should she see _him_ again.

A two-door car sidled up to the sidewalk where Sakura stood. A smile lit the medic's face as a bouncing head of light blond hair burst from the vehicle. Ino rushed around the front of the car, blue eyes bright with anticipation. "Forehead!"

"Hey, pig," Sakura laughed as Ino enclosed her in an enthusiastic hug. Still, Sakura hugged back with equal intensity. She had missed Ino terribly, and it showed in the way that she held on to her friend. Sakura felt tears tug at the back of her eyes; she hadn't realized just how much Ino meant to her. "I missed you, Ino."

"I missed you, too, Sakura."

Ino pushed back, and Sakura let her go. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Ino perked up. "Well, come on! Get your stuff in my car!"

"Well, actually, Ino, I don't want to be a burden, so I just going to stay—"

"Oh, shut it, Forehead. You're coming to stay with me. I have an extra bedroom in the house, and I want you to take it."

"But—"

"No 'buts', Sakura! You're staying with me, and that's final. There's no point in arguing, so don't even try." Ino shouldered past Sakura, grabbing the medic's suitcase and placing it in the back seat of her car.

The pink haired woman smiled, knowing there really wasn't anything to argue. She knew Ino would insist that Sakura stayed with her, but it was still nice to hear it from the blonde anyway. Sakura climbed into the front seat as Ino buckled up and drove toward the north side of town. The south side was covered in shops and the newest apartment buildings, but the north side was where most people lived. Despite being open and spread out, the people still liked to meet with each other.

Ino drove past the edge of town, reaching the small road that led to all the other houses. She glanced to her right, noticing Sakura's far away look as she gazed at the passing houses. "So," Ino started, her curiosity getting the best of her. "What have you been up to? I haven't heard from you."

"Hmm. Not much. I went to a medical college in Suna, but I graduated a year early. After that, I interned as a nurse for a hospital." She paused, thinking. Though nursing was a relatively fulfilling job, Sakura had found a place that better suited her wild streak. She became a paramedic for the district fire station in the south part of Suna. Fires were not that uncommon in a place as hot as Suna, but Sakura loved the quick flashes of adrenaline from saving someone.

She smiled at the memory. "Then, I decided to be a fire paramedic."

"What?" Ino's eyes were wide in surprise. "A _fire_ paramedic? But that's… Can't you get burned?" Ino's voice was climbing higher in worry, and Sakura laughed at her friend's fear and concern.

"It's okay, Ino. I love doing it. I really do love it."

Her team would arrive near the fire, and while the paramedics were not encouraged to approach the fire, Sakura was always ready with the oxygen masks. Her willingness to be near such hot temperatures had saved countless lives. She felt fulfilled performing that job. She was an excellent medic at treating burns, but her years being a nurse allowed her to become proficient in healing numerous lacerations and other injuries.

It was almost too much to think about. She had enrolled in college when she was nineteen. She was now twenty-five, a certified medical nurse and paramedic; her name was even on a plaque in the fire station in Suna. Though it wasn't anything too special, it meant much more to Sakura. She had finally accomplished something—something good—and made something of her life.

"But, Sakura… that's dangerous, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Sakura shrugged. "But I'm saving countless lives by making sure their lungs aren't damaged by the toxins in the smoke. I really do like helping people, Ino, even if you say my personality says otherwise."

Ino laughed. "Cheh, just never thought of you as the caring type, Sakura. You're always just so mean, especially with that short fuse of yours."

Sakura growled. "Says the biggest flirt and master-_mind_ behind most of our pranks. I wouldn't be surprised if you still aren't married."

The blonde smiled wickedly, reaching across her body to show Sakura her left hand. The pink haired woman gasped, grabbing the pale hand to gaze at the single diamond surrounded by two smaller ones set on a band of white gold. Sakura's green eyes were wide as she looked at Ino. She was completely shocked.

"Who?" she asked urgently.

"Nope," Ino shook her head. "You don't get to find out until we get to my house."

"But how—? I just don't— How could this have happened? When?"

"About two years after you left," Ino chuckled. "He and I got together. A year later, we got married. But," Ino hurried on, holding up a finger when Sakura opened her mouth to speak. "No kids."

"Why?" The only thing that had kept Sakura as a nurse for so long was working with the children. It was one of her favorite things to do, and though her temper could flare and she could be dangerous within a second, she had a strange patience for children. They were so innocent, and her pink hair always fascinated them.

Ino shrugged. "We never really talked about it. I'm not averse to having kids, but I don't know if he'd want any. I suppose I should talk to him about it… I've seen a few kids wandering around the town, and I suddenly imagined what I would be doing should I have a kid in that situation. It's never happened to me before."

Sakura smiled. "It's perfectly natural, Ino."

"Whatever," Ino rolled her eyes.

"So," Sakura started, knowing that Ino wanted to talk about a different subject. "Any one else get married?"

A pale finger rested on soft pink lips, signifying Ino's thinking mode. "Um… Chouji just got married to a girl that came here two years ago. Kiba remains unmarried… Neji met this girl—Tenten is her name, I think—and they've been going out for a little while. Lee left town for a 'world journey' a few months back…"

"That's all you can remember?" Sakura scoffed. She was glad, though, that Ino hadn't mentioned _him_.

"Hey! We haven't had our annual get-together yet. Sometimes we meet up more during the year, but about a year after you left we all decided to have a designated night where we all come together and have a few drinks—when we were of age, of course—and catch up on the information we might have missed."

"But… this isn't _that_ big of a town…"

"True, Sakura. We do see each other a lot. But only a few of us live in the city, and most of us live scattered around the outskirts of Konoha. Kiba lives near me… Hmm… Chouji lives in town in the apartments near his restaurant—"

"Chouji has a restaurant?" Sakura eyes were wide as she turned her shocked gaze on Ino. The Yamanaka laughed.

"I guess I forgot to mention that. He worked hard these past six years, and his father made him the new co-owner of his restaurant. So, should anything happen to his father—which I doubt—Chouji will get it. But I don't think his father will hold the main title for long. Chouji even makes some of the food himself, and let me tell you—it is simply amazing."

Sakura chuckled. "No matter how many diets you tried to keep, you never could. You loved food too much. And you probably still do." Ino glared, but Sakura's smile widened. "So, anything else?"

"Kiba's still crazy about dogs. He actually started a home for stray dogs, and occasionally leaves town to save others and try to find homes for the ones he's already saved. He actually makes a surprisingly good amount of money doing it."

"Does he still have Akamaru?" Sakura asked excitedly. Kiba had gotten the dog a year before she left. She had loved watching him and playing with him when Kiba had to find someone to occasionally care for him.

"Yeah. Akamaru is about seven years old now, but he still acts like he's three."

"So then, what are you doing?"

Ino smiled. "I'm a receptionist at the hospital and a valuable worker at my mother's flower shop. Both are only part-time jobs, but they have light hours, so sometimes I'm working shifts for both jobs the same day, and sometimes I have a full day free."

"Shikamaru? You didn't mention anything about him."

"He's a tactician that meets with Suna and Konoha to make sure everything in their economic contracts is sound. On the side, he's an engineer for remodeling car and bike engines as well as one of the town's best computer-and-anything-electronic technician."

"Wow. I would have thought he'd be too lazy for all that."

"Same here. But, he seems to like things that challenge that genius brain of his. The job as an emissary pays well, even though he only goes once every two months. He took up engine remodeling when he found out that Naruto was fixing up his old car and bike and was taking up a job/internship for being a mechanic." Suddenly, Ino flinched. _Dammit_, she thought.

Sakura's face hardened, and she turned away from Ino, gazing out of the window. It didn't help that Ino drove right past Naruto's house in that instant. Sakura would have recognized his house anywhere. It had a certain look to it that she couldn't miss. It was old and slightly run-down, but it was well taken care of, and had a very homey look about it. She had considered it her home once.

"What has Naruto been up to?" Her voice echoed the anger and bitterness she felt toward him. Again, Ino flinched.

"Well, as I told you, he managed to fix up his car and his bike…"

"I don't care about that, Ino. What has _he_ been up to?"

The tension in the car was thick, and Ino regretted ever letting her big mouth get the better of her. She had been trying to keep her secret, but had ruined it for her best friend. She knew Naruto was a subject better left unspoken.

"A year after you left, we didn't see much of him. He was around… listlessly working on his bike, but I saw that he missed you." Ino continued, even when Sakura snorted in disbelief. "Tenten and her father moved to Konoha to settle down, and her father gave Naruto a bike if he would collect business. So, that next year, Naruto was gone finding a sponsor to buy and sell the bikes that Tenten's father made. Then, he came back."

Ino hesitated. She wasn't sure if she should spill this information, but she knew that Sakura had to know. The medic might not believe Ino when she said that Naruto still wasn't the same, but she had to tell Sakura. "Um…" The blonde decided to simply tell the truth. "Sakura, Naruto is going out with Hinata. He has been for three years."

"What?" Sakura's voice had lowered dangerously, and her head whipped around to face Ino. The blonde was happy that she was staring at the road. Sakura growled. "Her? _Hinata?_ Why Hinata of all people?"

In all honesty, Sakura didn't have anything against the dark-haired beauty. She was a kind, honest girl, and a good friend. But the thought of Naruto with her, being what Sakura had been to Naruto, made her sick. She wasn't angry with Hinata; she was angry with Naruto—more so than she already had been.

"She did like him," Ino said quietly.

Sakura was sick. She was sick of talking about Naruto, sick of thinking about his relationship with Hinata—even though they hadn't even been talking about him for more than a few minutes. He was supposed to still love _her_! Even after all the years he had begged for dates, even after he had told her he loved her—Sakura—he had moved on and was dating someone else.

Then why couldn't she forget about him? He had been in love with her since he had met her. She didn't think she would fall in love with him, but she had given him a chance, and had fallen hard. He was always in the back of her thoughts, invading her mind, possessing her dreams… He was etched into the very core of her body, where his love had managed to take root in her heart and grow. She never thought she could love someone as much as she had loved Naruto. And then…

"What's Shino been up to? You haven't said anything about him."

The medic was trying to keep her voice steady, and Ino knew it. She sighed, turning the car down a dirt lane that lead to a relatively small two-story house. Sakura reached down, pulling a small water bottle from her purse. She opened the cap, closing her eyes and taking a sip.

"Shino's a lawyer now. He came back about a month ago to spend time with his mom and make sure he could make it to our annual 'shout-out.'"

Sakura barely listened as she hurriedly pulled out her water bottle, and the alcohol burned her throat when she swallowed it. She felt the sting numb her anger, helping her to control the bitterness and anguish that accompanied it. Thankfully, Ino couldn't smell the alcohol from where she sat. Sakura took another sip, letting it hit the bottom of her stomach. She quickly closed the bottle. Sakura wasn't an alcoholic, but sake did come in handy when she was deployed for a long trip. Still, she would have a shot every now and then when she needed to calm down after a taxing day.

However, just because Ino couldn't smell it didn't mean she was stupid. "Sakura, you weren't listening to me," she frowned.

"Yes, I was," Sakura argued as Ino stopped her car in roundabout driveway. "You said that Shino was a lawyer, and that he's living with his mom."

Ino reached over and grabbed the bottle, hurriedly unscrewing the lid and taking a small whiff. "Sakura! Why the hell are you carting around _sake_ of all drinks?"

"You try to handle screaming people and bossy superiors every single day without something to relax you," Sakura growled as she snatched her sake back.

"Hmm. Have to agree with you on that," Ino shrugged. "Just never thought you'd be one to have a shot or two almost every day."

"Everyone has a weakness waiting to be exploited, Ino. We all need something to help us get through it." Her voice was suddenly tired, defeated, and melancholy. Suddenly, Sakura looked up through the windshield at a sudden movement. Her anger was forgotten as she gazed at the man walking toward the car.

"What the hell, Ino?"

"Cheh, what can I say? He is pretty hot…"

Sakura stepped out of the car, her mouth still agape as the figure stopped a few feet from the car. "Hey, Sakura. Long time no see."

"Hey… Shikamaru."

00000

Naruto tiredly walked out of the store, hands bereft of the part he wanted. It was all just the same; he didn't think he would find it in the store, hence the reason why he had ridden his bike into town. It was the bike that had been his father's; he had given Tenten's father the newer bike back. He didn't like the extremely expensive look of the bike, and he liked the street bike he had renovated better.

He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. His eyes were downcast as his sun-blond locks sifted over his forehead, a few stray strands falling into his eyes. He stopped at his motorcycle, right hand resting on the polished steel of the handlebars. Cornflower blue eyes grazed over the paintjob on the left side of the bike.

A sound of disgust slipped from his throat. It was about _her_. It was always about _her_. She had been the one to inspire the design on the back of his bike. The blood-red fox, crouching as if ready to pounce on its prey, had sharp fangs bared, its sanguine color standing out from the orange and black paint that covered the rest of the bike's visible metal. He knew without looking what the other side said. It was something only _she_ would know, anyway.

Still his eyes drifted to the right side of the bike; even though he couldn't see it, the word echoed through the walls of his mind. _Vixen_. He used to call _her_ that whenever she'd kiss him a certain way, or do something that made her look like a crafty, little know-it-all fox. Only _she_ knew of the nickname.

Not even Hinata knew of it.

A tiny smile turned the corners of his lips, and he gave a small huff of laughter. Hinata. He was glad she was gone this week. After being with her for three years, things he had started to notice about her a while ago were seriously grating on his nerves, and wishes he had a hard time quelling popped into his mind all the time. It wasn't that he didn't like her; she was a very sweet and caring girl, but she lacked all the things that defined his sporadic nature.

He liked action, adventure, a challenge. Hinata, though nice, wasn't any of that. She lacked a certain degree of confidence, and was nervous to step out of her comfort zone to do something daring. One time, he had asked Hinata to go hiking with him. The mountains on the east side of Konoha were perfect for hiking, and one of his favorite places to explore.

The small smile on his face grew. He didn't need to wonder what _she_ would have done. Her eyes would have sparkled with anticipation, and her cheeks would have been flushed from working in the heat. If he had tried to steady _her_ as they stepped down a steep descent, _she_ would have laughed at him. Hinata, however, being the shy and somewhat worried girl she was, had held onto his sleeve the entire time. After that, she had kindly pleaded with him to not take her to a place like that again, and he had agreed. Now, he went by himself.

His heart clenched. He knew he shouldn't do this to Hinata. She really was a nice girl, and she had wonderful other qualities, but she just didn't quite fit with him. He knew that he would never love her like she deserved, but Naruto knew that she kept him distracted—distracted enough to where he didn't think about _her_ so much. She had been his life, his reason for living. And she was gone.

A tan hand gripped the handlebar beneath it. She shouldn't have left. He didn't have to be extremely intelligent to know that _she_ belonged with him.

_She belonged with him_.

The way _she_ felt against him… It was so right. Her petite form fit next to his like a completed piece of a puzzle, and the way she moved and teased him from time to time—she knew exactly what buttons to press to drive him wild. She knew his weak spots, and exactly what he liked. She knew everything about him.

Hinata… That was one reason why he had started dating her. There was almost nothing similar between _her_ and Hinata. Hinata distracted him, her bashful nature keeping his thoughts away from a beautiful, pink-haired girl that had captured his heart the first time he saw her. Hinata distracted him, turning his thoughts away from a slightly bossy woman that was as independent as the wind, but as grounded as roots stuck in the earth.

He shouldn't be doing this to her. Hinata was very sensitive, but she was kind and considerate; she didn't deserve to be with him. She deserved better—better than someone whose heart belonged to the most entrancing woman he knew. But she was gone. She hated him now. And yet it didn't change a thing. He would never love anyone else.

A sound of disgust sifted through Naruto's throat. Hadn't he promised himself he wouldn't think of _her_? He shouldn't be. Every time he did, he always dreamed of what could have been. No, what _should have_ been. She should be with him. Sakura Haruno… She _belonged_ with him.

Naruto roughly sat on his bike, hurriedly gunning the engine and looking to his left to make sure the lanes were clear.

His heart stopped.

Pink. All he saw was pink. He would have sworn he saw a head of pink hair in the front seat of Ino's car. But it couldn't be… She'd been gone for six years, and no one—not even Ino—had been able to stay in contact with her for long.

No… It wasn't her.

The blonde growled, rushing out onto the street. When Hinata came back, he'd tell her that he couldn't do this anymore. He wouldn't call her and tell her over the phone he couldn't be with her anymore. That was a coward's way, and Naruto knew she deserved better than that. He just needed to be truthful and break off the relationship. He shouldn't have even gone out with her in the first place, but he had needed the distraction so badly.

But for now, to everyone else, he and Hinata were still together, even if he had already broken up with her in his mind.

With a grunt of frustration, Naruto threw the bike into a higher gear before speeding home.

00000

Everything around the house was neat, not to mention Ino's home was fairly new. Still, Sakura liked Ino's house. The lawns were a bright Kelly green, and a small path wound its way from the wrap-around driveway to the front door. The house was white with mint green shutters. Green was one of Shikamaru's favorite colors, and strangely enough, it suited the house. The inside was mostly wood flooring; the kitchen was an expensive, misty-grey tile while the upstairs was covered in a brown and white speckled carpet.

Sakura set her suitcase on the bed, glancing around the spare bedroom. It was nicely furnished, and homey. The medic took a small sip of sake, looking dolefully at the bottle. She really wasn't an alcoholic—that was her mentor and current town mayor. Her teacher had left Suna two years earlier.

Still, having to deal with dumb or bossy patients all day warranted at least a little of a respite. Yet she couldn't help but blame the owner of a head of wild blond hair and ocean blue eyes for her light intake of sake.

The medic sighed, hurriedly taking another sip and letting the clear liquid sift into her bloodstream. Ino's voice drifted into the room.

"Hey, Forehead! Come down for dinner!"

Sakura chuckled, taking another quick drink before setting it down on the nightstand. Before eiting the room, Sakura looked back at her suitcase. Her eyes found the closed pocket on the left side of the suitcase, the section drawing her eyes as if it were a heavy, invisible magnet. She knew the picture sat there, and she could see it in her mind, and her heart clenched.

_Naruto_.

Steeling her resolve, Sakura inhaled deeply, turning her back on the picture as she hurried toward Ino's voice.

00000

**A/N:** So I know the first chapter isn't anything really special, but I think it's a good start, and it sets things up for the next chapter. It will get better, I promise, and I really hope this story turns out well. And I hope you readers like it too!

I want to thank my _Lost in the Rain_ readers again. A few didn't realize that this story will be short, but many also wanted me to end up publishing this. Thanks so much guys! I love all your support!

Until next time:

- wolf's paradise


	2. Day 2

**A/N:** Hey everyone! So I wanna say thanks to everyone that has reviewed this story and favorited it! I love all the reviews, and I must say that this story was a bit of a challenge for me, especially since there will be very mature content in this story (ahem, such as lemons), something that I have not done yet.

Still, I'm very excited for this story, and I do hope that everyone will end up enjoying this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. And again, I am the only one editing this story, but if you see anything, please let me know! Thanks guys!

Oh yeah, and for those of you who are into _Lost in the Rain_, too, just wanted to let you guys know that the chapter is coming along nicely! I'm about halfway through on that story's normal chapter length, unless it takes longer to develop and it's more than 20 pages… Anyway, just know that it'll be on it's way!

**Title:** Forbidden Love

**Genre:** Romance/Angst/Friendship/Hurt/Comfort

**Summary:** They had been together once. Their love had been the talk of the town. But he had cheated, so she left. Now she's back in town, and there's a secret behind their lost and forbidden love…

00000

_It's been about a year now… I haven't seen or heard from you… I've been missing you crazy… Damn those sweet memories… How do you sleep? I tried my best at moving on have yet to find a girl like you… I see things that I didn't before and I'm wishing I had more time with you… How do you stay awake knowing all I do is think of you?_

_All the things we thought about that never will happen again if I could just see you…_

Song: _How Do You Sleep_ by Jesse McCartney

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2. Day Two

_She grabbed his hand and shoved him aside, her body language demanding that he face her. He did, and saw the anger and hurt in her eyes. Why? He hadn't done anything. Had someone hurt her? Anger suddenly boiled in his chest. If someone had hurt her—_

"_Why, Naruto?" her voice was angry, and her green eyes flashed._

_His face quirked into a question. So she was mad at him… What had he done?_

"_Oh don't play dumb!" she growled._

"_Sakura, I—I don't understand."_

_That seemed to break her. Tears filled her eyes, but they didn't fall. "I thought… I thought you… liked me. So why? Why were you there with her?"_

_Naruto gulped. _Oh no…

"_Sakura, it's not what you think. I had to ask her an important question. I promise."_

_She shook her head. "My mother saw you and Hinata in the alley. An _alley_, Naruto! Why would you do that?"_

"_I didn't—Sakura… I mean, I was there, yes, but I asked her what she thought you would like… since it was our… well… anniversary. Cause we've been together for a year, you know?" He scratched his neck nervously, hoping she believed the truth. Cause it was true._

_Her eyes flickered, and he could see her mind wavering. A small breeze fluttered past, tossing a few of the pink strands of her hair. The light, fresh scent of her cherry shampoo tickled his nose, and his senses reached out._

_They had come to this hill for picnics many times before. At the bottom of the hill was a small pond, home to a few wild ducks. Naruto and Sakura stood by a tree that peaked the crest of the hill, and had provided them with shade on all of their outings together. It was also the place where Naruto first asked Sakura to go out with him. And he had been so happy to have a chance—especially since she meant more to him than anyone else. She understood him._

"_Sakura," he muttered, "you know that I would never love anyone but you." He put his hands on her shoulders, sliding them up to cup Sakura's face. He was about to say something, but her eyes suddenly flashed, and she backed out of his embrace. She shakily pulled something out of her pocket and gave it to him. It was a picture of him and Hinata in the alley, and he was doing the exact same action to Hinata._

_Sakura sniffled, and he looked up. "My mother took that."_

_His eyes narrowed immediately. It wasn't a secret that Sakura's mother hated him, but why she thought he would ever hurt Sakura, Naruto wasn't sure. But he really didn't like her._

"_Your mother," Naruto retorted, voice slightly acerbic._

_The exotic girl in front of him recoiled a bit, snatching the picture back. "Yes, my mother, and there's nothing wrong with her. Besides, you're not denying that you were there with Hinata when my mother did take this picture!"_

"_That's not the point, Sakura-chan!" He quickly bit his tongue. He only called her that when he was frustrated or thinking of something stupid. "The point is that I was trying to do something special for you, and I didn't want anyone to overhear and spill the surprise!" His eyes were pleading with her to believe him. To believe the truth._

_Her lips quirked into a frown. "I don't believe you."_

_But even he could see that she didn't fully believe what she had just said. "Sakura, you know how long I've always wanted to be with you. Why would I even think of…" It hurt just to say the word, "cheating on you?"_

_She closed her eyes in a defeated gesture and heaved a sigh. "I… I know, Naruto. But I can't… I can't do this. I… I have to go."_

_His face fell, and he felt a sickening drop in his stomach. "No… Sakura, no… please…"_

_The scene in front of him blurred as the love of his life backed another step away from him. He could already feel the painful tug she had on his heart as she moved away. It was like she held a rope, and with every step she took, it pulled at his heart and the ache and pain got worse._

"_I'm sorry, Naruto. But I…" She stepped back, and the cord tugged harder. He winced._

"_Please… Sakura, don't do this to me… _Please_… don't go…" Warmth coated his cheeks, and he realized he was crying. Why? Why didn't she believe him? Why did she refuse to think that he could never love anyone but her? It was impossible. She was everything he had and could ever want…_

_He crumpled to the grass, her fleeing figure the last thing he saw as he stared, completely numb, at the scenery in front of him._

Naruto sat up with a gasp, his breath coming fast. His hands flew to his face, and he quickly brushed the tears away. Even six years later that day still haunted him, but he hadn't dreamt about it for years. His right hand shifted shakily through his blond locks as he threw back the covers, hurrying to the small bathroom to the left of his room. After taking a few pills to ease his pounding headache, Naruto sat on his bed, resting his head in his hands.

He still didn't understand it. He had been completely honest when he had told her that he had been planning something special for their anniversary. Yet she thought that maybe he had been going behind her back to visit with Hinata. And how would it look now if she were here? He was with Hinata. He didn't even want to think about what her reaction would be if she knew.

The ache in his chest throbbed, and his hands balled into fists. Goddamn it, he missed her. He missed her so much, and it hadn't changed in six years. Nothing further than kissing had happened between them, but they had simply slept together a few times, both content just to hold the other while they slept.

He missed the warmth of her embrace. He missed the silk texture of her hair when he would sift his hands through it. He missed her boisterous attitude, and the way she would challenge his control with just a simple swing of her hips. He missed the feel of her body against his, and he missed her taste when they would kiss.

Everything about her… He missed it all.

Blue eyes drifted to his curtain-covered window. It was like this every morning. But this morning was worse. Why, he wasn't sure. He felt that unbearable cramp whenever she had been near before, and his foolish heart told him she was close. His mind argued against it, sure that she wouldn't have returned.

_She had liked it pitch black at night while we slept… Is it the same? Is there someone new? Someone else that has been able to hold her while she sleeps? Or kiss her?_

Naruto growled, forcing his mind away from the thoughts that made jealousy creep through his limbs. He didn't want to think about Sakura being with someone else. It sent a blind rage through his mind, but he wasn't with her. He had no right to be jealous.

Besides, these feelings were ridiculous. There was no way she would have come back. And even if she did, he doubted she would show any regret for leaving him. She was the one that didn't believe him, and she was the one that didn't think he loved her. But he did—more than she knew.

The ache in his chest tightened for a moment, and his eyes stung as excitement and sorrow swirled in his stomach. That light, fluttery feeling… He hadn't felt that in so long… It had only happened when _she_ had been around.

"Sakura…" he murmured, his voice breaking on the name.

He missed her. He missed her so goddamn much.

But he couldn't do a thing.

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Sakura sat at Ino's kitchen table, her sightless eyes staring out the window as a pale finger swirled slowly around the rim of her coffee cup. Her lips were pulled into a grim line, and her eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

He was here. She could _feel_ him.

That dream… It came to her occasionally after a long day at work or at the sight of a much-in-love couple. But here… She had _felt_ him in her dream, and she could even feel him now.

His taste was still on her tongue. Her skin still tingled with the remembrance of his touch, and her fingertips itched to hold him. She remembered the way his hair felt—not soft like silk, nor coarse like horsehair. It was a perfect balance between the two, and so thick and unruly that it stuck up in spikes. And the scars… She also remembered the faint scars on his cheeks from a bad car accident when he was young.

It depressed her to know she missed him. She was supposed to be over him; he shouldn't mean anything to her anymore. The hand in her lap slowly curled into a fist. He was… He was going out with Hinata now, and it cut her deeper than she thought it would.

"Sakura!"

The medic blinked, resting her eyes on her friend's intense face. Ino's blue eyes were angry, and her face was slightly flushed.

"What is this doing in your suitcase?" Ino demanded.

Sakura started. Her picture! "Ino! You went through my bag?" Sakura was hurt, and she wasn't surprised to realize that it was because of the picture. She and Naruto had gotten into a large paintball fight, and they were covered with paint. But they were smiling… so happy together…

Ino didn't take her eyes off of Sakura's face. The blonde's voice lowered, and she finally closed her eyes and rubbed her face. She let out a heavy sigh. "I heard you dreaming last night. I heard you crying." Sakura lowered her head, but Ino continued. "You told me what happened, remember?"

Sakura nodded.

"You know you don't believe it. I _know_ you don't."

"Ino-pig," Sakura snarled, her eyes snapping to life. "I saw the picture my mother took! I'm not blind!"

"It was _your mother_, Sakura!" Ino argued. "You know better than any of us how much your mother hates Naruto. Don't you remember how well he treated you?" Ino leaned back in her chair, sucking in a frustrated breath, visibly working to lower her voice. "I know what Naruto wanted to do. I forced him to tell me before he asked Hinata. He made me promise not to tell, and I didn't."

"Look, Ino, I…" Sakura looked at her friend, and tears suddenly pulled at the back of her eyes at the hurt and pained look in Ino's eyes. "I… Ino?"

"I didn't tell you because it was… well, I knew it was something special, even if I was dying for someone to do the same for me."

"W-What?"

"He… He was going to propose to you, Sakura. And something more, but… he didn't really want to tell me because our tastes are different. I would have wanted something a bit more glamorous than you. And he knew that Hinata was a bit more like you than I was."

So many emotions flitted across Sakura's face. _He… propose… me?_

Ino sighed heavily. "You miss him… don't you?"

The pink haired woman turned her head away, trying to hide the threatening tears. This was all happening so fast. There were so many things that she was finding out. If only Ino didn't know her so well…

"I know you miss him."

"All right, fine!" Sakura shouted, the dam finally bursting. "So what if I miss him! He's going out with Hinata, and it doesn't matter that he was going to propose because he's… he's forgotten about… me."

"No." Ino's light blue eyes were intense. "He hasn't."

Sakura sniffled. "I… I don't understand."

The blonde scoffed. "The idiot… He thought he was fooling everyone. Shikamaru and I noticed first. Only a few us have noticed, but most haven't. And Hinata definitely hasn't."

"What do you—"

"Naruto is miserable, Sakura. Completely and utterly miserable." Ino nodded her head to emphasize her point. Yet Sakura was thinking, paying attention to her own thoughts. It had to be now… "Look, Forehead. Tomorrow is our fifth annual get-together. Everyone would love to see you. It's been a while, you know?"

"I don't want to see him," Sakura said quickly, fixing Ino with a hard gaze. "I know what you're trying to do, Ino-pig, and it's not going to work."

"He's not going to be there, Sakura. I was going to tell everyone you were here anyway. Even if you don't go, they'll all come over here to see you. And you know I don't like to be bothered especially when my social life and house is on the line."

"Fine," Sakura consented, but Ino could see the slight quirk of her friend's mouth. And if the blonde knew anything about Naruto, he wouldn't be at the party—not with Sakura so close to him.

Sakura stood slowly and exited the kitchen. As soon as she had, Ino hurried to the phone and dialed a friend. She would need his help.

The phone rang twice. "Hello?"

"I need your help. We have a problem."

"What is it?"

"Sakura's back." For a moment, the other end of the line was silent.

"Shit."

00000

He really shouldn't have agreed to do this. He knew this whole thing was going to go down—soon, and fast at that. But he couldn't say no; he needed this just as much as they did. It was his chance now, even if he knew people would get hurt in the process. But he wanted her…

"Kiba!"

His eyes rested on a running blonde, and she stopped in front of him. "Akamaru!" she said excitedly, reaching down to pat the white dog. In his pressing thoughts, Kiba had forgotten he had brought his most loyal companion.

"This is bad. So bad," Kiba said worriedly.

Ino nodded and crossed her arms. "I know. As much as I love Sakura, this whole thing will be hell on both of them, even if it is in their best interests. I mean, we all know that they belong together, and that neither will be happy without the other."

A rough sound slipped from Kiba's throat. He smiled, canine teeth slightly more pointed than most people's. "That idiot tries to deny it all the time." Over the past few years, Kiba and Naruto had become close friends. "He mopes… all the time." The dog caretaker slipped a hand through his thick brown locks, sighing and thrusting his hands in his pockets as he watched Akamaru sniff and explore the area around them.

"Sakura's moping, too. And she won't admit it, either." Ino shifted. "Kiba, we've _got_ to do something! You've got to convince Naruto to go to the party tomorrow. I'm pretty sure Sakura is going, but they have to fight this thing out or they'll be miserable for the rest of their lives!" The blonde averted her eyes and lowered her voice. "And so will you."

Kiba laughed. "Straight to the point as always, Ino. But she'll get hurt…"

"I know, Kiba, but it's just part of the process!" Ino insisted.

"What about… well, you know. _Her._"

Ino sucked in a breath, blue eyes moving back and forth as she thought. "We'll just have to keep her busy. She can't know that Sakura is here, and I doubt that Sakura will want to contact her mom anyway. After all, her mom was the one that made everything a big deal and took them away from each other."

"Yeah… I remember what Naruto looked like." Kiba lowered his head. "He got better at pretending nothing was wrong."

"I couldn't really judge with Sakura. She just… left. She didn't even tell me goodbye until two months later when she was already situated in Suna. And then another month later she told me everything that had happened. After that, she simply stopped talking. She wouldn't really talk to me anymore, even though I tried to talk to her."

Even though Kiba was definitely not the best at understanding women, it didn't take a genius to see that losing contact with Sakura had hurt Ino—deeply. They had always been the best of friends, and now, because of one woman and her obvious hatred of one boy, everyone had suffered or been hurt in one way or another. And even if more hurt were to be involved in Ino's plan, they had to set things straight.

"Sure," Kiba sighed. "Count me in, Ino. I'll head over to Naruto's this afternoon and try to convince him to come. It shouldn't be that hard. Since Hinata left yesterday, he's been a wreck."

"Okay," Ino said, mentally beginning to prepare everything. "Please make sure he goes. If you have to, tell him you'll pick him up."

"Nah. He likes his bike he fixed up. Especially since he put on the new paint job. I dunno, but I think it has something to do with Sakura. He looks at it a lot."

"Just… He's _got_ to come. Sakura's staying with me anyway, so there's no way that she'll be able to say no. And if she tries to, I'll pull the 'You owe it to me' line. Despite what people think, she has quite the guilty conscience about this whole thing." Ino smiled, the action slightly wicked, and Kiba laughed.

"All right. Well, I'll see you later, Ino." Kiba waved, then clapped and called to Akamaru. With an excited bark, the white dog bounded after his owner. Ino waved in turn, calling her goodbyes to both the man and his dog. Then, she wrung her hands.

"If only I was so confident this would all go well…"

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Fingers traced the orange word. It was the only design on the right side of the bike, and with the word came a plethora of memories—all of which he wouldn't trade for any amount of money in the world. The memories were precious to him, some of the only things that he had left of her. He had a shirt that she had forgotten to get before she left, and it still had her scent on it.

Naruto stood. This was just pathetic. He shouldn't be moping like this. It was just a girl. She was just a girl.

_No… Not just any girl… Sakura was…_

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, buddy! Tell me this new bike is for me."

The blonde jumped, and whirled around, letting out a small laugh once he processed Kiba's words. "You asked for one."

Kiba scoffed. "Yeah, man, but it's not as nice as yours. I mean…"

"Hey, that's cause mine's a classic, and it'd be worth way more than you could spend if I ever decided to sell this baby. But yours… It's old, but it can still be remodeled and it won't take that much work."

The dog rescuer shook his head. "You lazy ass."

Naruto laughed. "You bet I am, man." He moved over to Kiba's bike. It was a work in progress, but it was still coming along nicely. Shikamaru would be coming over soon to help him work with the engine, but for now, he was content to have Kiba help him with the body.

"Damn…" Kiba complained. "It won't be ready by tomorrow will it?"

"Nah. Why?"

"Come on, Naruto! Don't tell me you forgot. Tomorrow is our annual get-together. Shino's come down just to be here for it, and you can't say that you forgot it was tomorrow tonight. Posts come up every single day," Kiba insisted.

"Look, I… I just don't want to go tomorrow."

"From what I can tell, you'll need to go tomorrow."

"What do you mean?" Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"I mean that you've been moping all day. Ever since Hinata left for her big family reunion, you've been a complete mess." Kiba stuck his hands in his pockets. "More so than when you had Hinata to distract you from missing _her_ too much," the brown haired man said quietly.

Naruto's gaze snapped up, and he fixed Kiba with a hard stare. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't even act innocent, Naruto," Kiba scoffed. "You may have fooled everyone else—even Hinata—but you haven't fooled me. Not me, Ino, or Shikamaru. We all know how much you miss Sakura, and though you've been coming to our get-togethers, Naruto, you've been staying shorter and shorter each time. And you hardly talk to any of us anymore."

Blue eyes lowered to the floor. "You saw through it, too?" he asked quietly.

"Of course, Naruto. Anyone who has a brain should be able to see that you're still in love with Sakura. And nothing you do will change that. Not even Hinata."

"But with Hinata…"

"She's just you're distraction, Naruto."

"Don't you think I know that? And what about you? We all know that you've always had a crush on Hinata! You've always tried to get her attention, to get her to see you, but she doesn't!"

"And isn't that the reason why we became such good friends in the first place? We had something in common: invisibility." Kiba settled his dark gaze on Naruto. "People get hurt all the time, Naruto. Like when Hinata decided to go out with you. I got hurt a lot. But I see her every day. You choose to live alone with only memories."

Naruto shut his eyes.

"I couldn't be that strong. I would rather see Hinata every day—even if she's with someone else—than to live with the knowledge that she's gone, and for a short while, she had been mine."

The blonde finally sat down. "I just don't understand, Kiba. How could Sakura have doubted me?"

Kiba shrugged. "I don't know. I could ask the same about Hinata."

"But I… I had so much planned…"

"Yeah. I know."

For a while, both men were silent, each thinking about their own problems. In the back of his mind, Kiba wondered if he had ventured out and said too much, especially in how he cared for Hinata. But he realized it had been the right thing to say.

"So you really want me to go, huh?" Naruto asked.

"Look, if nothing else, you can drink a bit. Get a nice buzz, you know?"

Naruto laughed. "Wow, Kiba…"

"No, no, man… Come on," the brown haired man laughed. "So I do it a few times. It's not like you don't either."

"True…"

"You gonna bring your bike? New paint job and all?"

"Of course." Naruto chuckled. "I worked hard on that paint job. It's my favorite, too."

"Well, then, I'll see you there."

"Yeah…"

Naruto watched Kiba leave. Somehow, he had a feeling that nothing was going to go as well as it seemed, but he had promised Kiba that he would go. And getting a buzz did sound nice. It wouldn't completely fuck him over for the next day's work, but it would put a nice atmosphere in his head, and for a moment, all of his troubles would disappear.

Yes, he needed that.

He needed a good dose of "happy."

_Even if she's the only thing that'll ever make me truly happy…_

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**A/N:** Well, sorry that was a bit of a shorter chapter than normal… only 12 pages, but this chapter was a bit tougher to write than most. I haven't done much writing that involves Kiba, so I am desperately hoping that I made his character all right.

And this was a pretty depressing chapter… I was getting depressed writing it! haha! Even still, I thought it was pretty insightful, and next chapter is when the fun begins! I can't wait to end up writing that chapter. It'll probably be quite a bit of work, but I'm excited for it!

Thanks to everyone reading this!

- wolf's paradise


	3. Day 3

**A/N:** So here's the third installment to _Forbidden Love_. Oh, this is a crazy chapter, but so much fun to write! Unfortunately, there really isn't that much to say about it except the works: it's unedited, it's 17 pages long, and I think it's awesome =D. And as one must always say (or close to that), this chapter is unedited except by me, so if there are any major mistakes, correct me on it! Enjoy all!

**Disclaimer:** If anyone thinks I own Naruto, please please go get your brain checked. I think if I were Kishimoto my grammar would be much worse… No offense to him of course =)

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_I can feel her on my skin… I can taste her on my tongue… She's the sweetest taste I've seen, and the more I get the more I want… And I just can't pull myself away… I just can't stop; I just can't stop… Under a spell I can't break…_

_It won't be long before I get you by my side… Tell you what's been on my mind… I can't lie… I miss you so much watching every day that goes by… I miss you so much…_

Songs: _Closer_ (Ne-Yo), and _Right Now_ (Akon)

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3. Day Three

She knew she shouldn't have let Ino talk her into this. It was way too uncomfortable, and not one of their old friends had shown up yet. Not to mention the fact that she was wearing a skirt that stopped above mid-thigh. Her red halter-top tapered to a "v," showing some cleavage, but not too much. A golden, beaded rectangle rested in the space between her, and gold dangle earrings drifted from her lobes. Two inch black heels completed her look.

Ino looked similar. Instead of a red halter-top, hers was purple and strapless. Her skirt was the same length as Sakura's, yet the medic couldn't understand how Ino felt so comfortable in these types of clothes. Sakura liked nice clothing, and some fancy things, but she much more exposed in these clothes Ino had let her borrow.

There was no one that she was trying to impress anyway. Granted, she was getting quite a few looks from the men near the bar, but Sakura continued to slowly sip her glass of red wine. When her thoughts would get the better of her, a forefinger would slowly circle the lip of the glass, a high-pitched humming sifting into Ino's ears.

"Okay," the blonde said, reaching across to clap her hand over Sakura's. The humming stopped, and Ino breathed a silent sigh of relief. "You have _got_ to stop doing that. Even if you are bored."

"Well, no one's here yet. It's just you and me, and I feel way too exposed in this outfit you chose for me." A pale finger found soft strands of pink hair styled in curls, and Sakura frowned slightly. "I mean, seriously. It's not like I'm trying to impress anyone, and it's not like I'm really looking for a relationship, either – especially since I don't know anyone here."

The blonde shrugged. "I know. But you look hot, Sakura, and even if you're not looking for anyone or whatever, you're still turning heads. And when that could come to dancing, it'll be much more fun than simply sitting here having a drink or two."

Sakura lifted her shoulders. "I suppose."

"Oh, shut up, Forehead. You know it's a lot more fun."

The corners of Sakura's lips twitched before they broke into a smile. Despite being indifferent on whether she attracted the opposite sex, Sakura did like to dance. Ino had taught her how to dance a long time ago, and there was something about the quick, staccato beat that stirred her daring side.

Not that being a firefighter medic wasn't daring. Sakura had grown up around guys and was one of the few girls tough enough to deal with them. Being in the firefighting business she had to be. But Sakura had never been completely comfortable with showing how well she could dance.

"Wait, wait! She can't know!"

A girl's urgent voice caught Sakura's attention. The girl had her hand on her boyfriend's arm, and the look in her eyes was intense. Her boyfriend was looking at her just as intensely, and one of his hands was cupping the side of her face.

"But…"

"I had to slip out to see you! You know she hates you." The girl could have only been about seventeen or eighteen, but there was something about this whole situation that seemed familiar. It made Sakura's chest ache, and it made her remember.

_Naruto…_

She closed her eyes.

_They were in the field at the edge of town—the one with their tree and the pond—and the wind was pulling at Sakura's hair. She grabbed Naruto's face and pulled him to her, kissing him hard. His hands rested on her hips, and he squeezed slightly. Sakura pulled away, her eyes frantically searching his. She was out of breath; after all, she had just raced across the field._

"_How'd it go?" Naruto whispered._

_Sakura smiled. "I slipped out. She doesn't know that I came to see you."_

"_We can't… Sakura, we can't keep going behind her back and meeting like this. As much as I love to see you, I don't want to keep meeting you in secret." Although he was already close, Naruto stepped closer, and his eyes softened. One hand stayed on her hip, and another came to cup her cheek. "Sakura… I want to be able to look at you without having to hide it from everyone. I want to be able to touch you so everyone will know you belong to me."_

_The color rose to her cheeks, and she dipped her head, an embarrassed smile quirking her lips. She punched Naruto's shoulder lightly. "Hey. I don't _belong_ to you…"_

_Naruto took a fistful of Sakura's hair and shoved her mouth to his. "Yeah… You do belong to me. You're mine…" Naruto kissed the top of Sakura's forehead, and she closed her eyes, letting out a contented sigh. Something in Naruto seemed to change when that registered in his mind. He grabbed her arms and turned her around, pressing her back to the tree against which he had been standing. Sakura's eyes shot open and she tried to pull away, but her head tapped against the bark of the tree. Naruto pressed his body flush against hers, and his hands drifted up her sides, moving her shirt so he could touch her skin._

"_You're mine," he whispered. "My vixen…"_

_Sakura felt her spine tingle when he said that. It was his secret name for her, and he knew just how much it affected her. Her breath came faster as Naruto's hands drifted over her ribs, and one of her hands grabbed a handful of his hair as the other gripped onto his white t-shirt. She pushed into him, and he pushed back, squeezing her further between him and the tree._

_The blonde's hands crept back to Sakura's face, and her other hand left his hair to touch the skin underneath his t-shirt. She felt a quick thrill fill her veins, and she tugged at Naruto's shirt, starting to pull it off. He instinctively raised his arms, and his hands pulled Sakura's face closer when his shirt had been tossed to the grass._

_But it wasn't fair for him to be shirtless and for Sakura to still be clothed. Naruto grabbed Sakura's wrists and lifted them above her head, pinning them to the tree with one hand. His mouth slowly parted from Sakura's, and she opened her eyes halfway, her green eyes dark with lust. Naruto had normally been so careful, so adamant about staying under control, but it seemed as if she had done something to drive him past that thought. Her eyes closed suddenly and drew in a shuddering breath as Naruto's hands ghosted up her sides, taking her thin pink tank with them._

_That, too, was tossed to the grass, and Naruto bent his head down, touching his lips to Sakura's collarbone and her neck. He let out a groan, taking in her light orange polka dot bra. The nineteen-year-old felt her blood boil, but she couldn't bring a smile to her lips, even if she knew that wearing Naruto's favorite color taunted him. The atmosphere was too thick with his lust—and with her lust as well._

"_Sakura…" Naruto whispered, and when her eyes met his she felt an urgent need tingle in the pit of her stomach. The way he said her name… She had never known her name could sound so… so… She couldn't even find the words to describe it. "I… I can't… I don't know… I want you," he finally managed to say. "I want you. And I… don't want to stop."_

_She knew how much Naruto valued this. She knew that he had always kept his lust in control because he didn't want her to think that it was all he wanted. And he had proved that dozens of times; he wanted her and all of her, not just what she had or could simply give him. He wanted her for _her.

_Her hand gently cupped his cheek, and the pad of her thumb caressed the scars on his face. "It's okay. Ever occur to you I might want this just as badly?" However there was one thing…_

_The responding smile on Naruto's face melted her heart. He leaned in to kiss her again._

"_Um… Naruto," she whispered._

_He leaned back. "Hmm?"_

"_Uh… We're in a field… out in the open…"_

_Naruto glanced around. "Oh, shit…" And both of them laughed while they gathered up their shirts. The blonde smiled and leaned over again, catching Sakura by surprise and engaging her lips in a kiss. The girl smiled back, resting her hand on his cheek and keeping him connected to her for a moment longer before pulling away to finish pulling on her shirt._

"_Sakura? When?"_

"_Tomorrow," she answered, her green eyes soft and full of promise. "I can't tonight, but I'll meet you at your house tomorrow. Tomorrow night." They leaned in for another kiss._

"_Sakura Suzume Haruno."_

_Both teenagers gasped and pulled away. Sakura's eyes widened, her heartbeat jumped and when she checked her peripheral vision, Naruto looked petrified. Mrs. Haruno…_

Sakura quickly wiped away a stray tear. Her mother had seen that last kiss between the two of them, and a large fight had ensued after that. Naruto had tried to placate Sakura's mother, but they both knew it was futile. Her mother hated Naruto for reasons that Sakura still thought were ridiculous.

The medic felt her chest tighten. _We were supposed to… that night. That was the day he had asked Hinata about how to propose to me. He was going to ask me to marry him, and then we would have… would have…_

"Shikamaru!" Ino suddenly yelled.

Sakura whirled around, smiling sadly when she saw Shikamaru and Ino embrace and share a kiss. She could have had that… Sakura shook her head, forcing the thoughts from her mind. She had to stop thinking about what she and Naruto could have been. It was long gone, and she wouldn't see him this entire stay here. Even though it was risky, she knew that he wouldn't be at this get-together, nor was he likely to randomly visit Ino or be in town much. Of that much Sakura was certain.

With Shikamaru came Chouji, Shino, Neji, and a girl who had to be Tenten. Sakura glanced around, but no one else seemed to come in with them. The medic turned toward Ino.

"Where's Lee? And Hinata?" Sakura was proud that she had said the girl's name without flinching.

"Like I said, Lee's doing his world traveling, and Hinata is away visiting her family. Neji would have been forced to go, but he persuaded them to let him stay so he could have more time with Ten Ten. Speaking of which… Sakura, Ten Ten. Ten Ten, Sakura."

Both women smiled and shook hands. Sakura could tell that Tenten would be a good friend. She had a soft, round face, and her dark brown hair was styled into two buns. A few bangs slipped into eyes just as dark as her hair, setting off her smooth, pale skin and forest green, beaded tank that she wore.

Ino steered everyone for the table at which she and Sakura had been previously sitting. The blonde hurried away, claiming that she was leaving to buy everyone the drinks they wanted. Sakura looked at Shikamaru.

"Is she paying for all the drinks?"

The genius nodded. "Every year someone else takes care of the tab. Unless some of us are just too poor."

"Kiba," Shino stated.

Chouji looked horrified. "Shino, don't say that! Kiba loves what he does and makes good money doing it! Just because someone isn't a lawyer like you doesn't mean they don't have money."

Shino glanced around and shrugged. "Just stating a fact."

Sakura chuckled and shook her head, letting her finger trace the edge of her wine glass again. "You haven't changed one bit, Shino. Still the same blunt, quiet guy I went to high school with. Crazy, you know?" Sakura took a breath and leaned forward. "And Neji. You haven't changed, either."

The pale eyed man blinked and looked away. "I haven't even spoken yet."

"Well," Sakura leaned back. "You have now, and you haven't changed a bit. But I could tell from the way that you walked into the room that you still carry that Hyuuga pride with you." The medic's eyes slid over to Tenten, but she didn't want to embarrass her friend when she had only been around him for a little while. Instead, she motioned toward Tenten. "How do you ever live with him?"

The brown haired woman laughed. "I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if he truly is a strange, stoic monster." When Neji looked away, embarrassed instead by Tenten, the woman grabbed his arm and rested her head on his shoulder. "But most of the time he's simply amazing."

Sakura saw the embarrassment flush Neji's cheeks, and she stifled a laugh just as Ino came back with a tray full of drinks. The medic shook her head and began to protest, but Ino wouldn't let her.

"Look, Sakura. A glass of wine isn't going to cut it. I got everyone their own special drink. I know what everyone's favorites are, and I picked the best one for you, Forehead." Ino methodically placed the drinks in front of each person. Some drinks were in martini glasses, and others were in tall glasses or ones with strange shapes. Sakura's drink was a light peach color, gradually growing darker until the rim of dark liquor coating the bottom of the glass.

"Oh, Forehead, just drink it!" Ino said in an exasperated voice when she saw Sakura eyeing her glass suspiciously.

"What is it?"

"It's one of the bar's specials. The _Dragon Flame_."

"_Dragon Flame?_" Sakura almost screeched. "It even sounds like a dangerous drink, Ino! Why the hell would you buy it for me?"

"God, Forehead, cool it. It's only named that because the color gets darker as it reaches the bottom and the liquor is a mix of kahlua and vodka. Hence the word 'flame.' So calm down and just drink it. But stir it up so you don't get too much liquor in one sip." A smirk quirked one side of Ino's mouth as she stared at Sakura over the rim of her drink as she took a sip.

Sakura scowled, quickly analyzing Ino's drink. It was the same drink that Tenten had, but it looked a lot safer than her own drink. "What?" Ino finally snapped. But she knew why Sakura was eyeing her drink. "It's just kahlua and vodka, Forehead. Mine has vodka, too, but the other flavors are different; I wouldn't give you something that you couldn't handle."

Slowly, Sakura nodded, taking a small sip of the _Dragon Flame_. She let the cool, sharp taste linger in her mouth for a moment, and was surprised she liked it. There was a fruity flavor in the drink—probably mango and strawberries. There seemed to be a slight aftertaste of pineapple, but it was extremely light. The kahlua and vodka somehow complimented the flavors, even if that was mostly what Sakura could taste. She looked at Ino, flushing when she saw the knowing smirk on the blonde's face.

"Okay, okay! I like it."

"I knew it!" Ino shouted. She had already gulped down half of her drink, and it showed in the slightly exaggerated way she moved her arms. "Okay! Time to share everyone! Who wants to go first?" When no one answered, Ino let out a large sigh. "Come on, guys! This is for Sakura! She needs to know what's been going on."

"I'll go," Chouji volunteered after a moment. "Well, when you left, I'd been training with my dad…" Chouji proceeded to tell Sakura everything—his cooking training, the girl he had married, and how his dad planned to sign the restaurant in Chouji's name. He even described a few of the special dishes the restaurant served.

"Mm!" Ino said, finishing the gulp she had just taken of her drink. "You should try the food, Sakura. It's simply amazing."

But Sakura wasn't quite interested in the food. For some reason, she was interested in the woman that Chouji had married. Maybe—just maybe—if Sakura could imagine someone else being happy and perfectly content, she could let a little bit more of him go. It was completely unlikely, but Sakura had to give it a try. The further down the drink got, the more Sakura's mind drifted back to what she missed most of all.

"How did you and Ayame meet?"

Chouji's face went red, but he smiled. "Well, it was actually at a food tournament."

"Tournament?" Sakura's face twisted in amusement and confusion, and she knew the vodka and kahlua were starting to affect her system.

"Yeah, sorta…"

"Come on, Chouji! Tell us!" Ino encouraged. She turned to Sakura, blue eyes bright partly because of the alcohol and partly because she was excited. "Believe it or not, he hasn't even told us this story yet."

"Yeah, I did…" Chouji's face was bright red again.

"Nu-uh!" Ino vigorously shook her head. "We begged you to tell us, but you never did. And Ayame loved you too much to betray you and tell us what happened. Now come on, Chouji. Tell us."

Chouji looked away, his cheeks beginning to flame, and Sakura saw that he was truly embarrassed by the story. The medic held out her hand. "It's okay, Ino. We don't have to know, and I'm sure that if he really wanted to, he would have told us already. Don't you think?"

Ino scoffed, thankfully unaware of the grateful glance that Chouji sent Sakura's way. The blonde threw her hands in the air. "But we have to know! We'll all have to know sometime, even if they are already married!" Ino took another sip of her drink, then turned to Chouji. "Wait. Why isn't she here again? I thought we all coming! I mean, Neji brought Tenten…"

The Hyuuga rolled his eyes. "Ino, leave Chouji alone. If he doesn't want to tell us, then he doesn't want to tell us. It's not a big deal."

Ino's normally clear eyes, now too-bright with intoxication, widened. "Not a big deal? Of course it's a big deal!"

A flicker of blonde flashed in Sakura's peripherals, and she jumped, eyes roving the bar. She shook her head and put her hand to her forehead. _I shouldn't drink so much… Now I'm seeing things…_ And yet, Sakura downed the rest of her drink, feeling the liquid spark and burn down her throat. Oddly enough, the pain felt good.

"_No! You're not keeping me away from him! What _is_ the big deal, Mom? It's just Naruto! It's not like he's going to kill me in my sleep!"_

"_Not a big deal?" her mother shouted. "Of course it's a big deal, Sakura! You know how I feel about him! He got you and Ino into so much trouble when you two were younger! If it hadn't have been for him, you and Ino would have been such good kids!"_

"_Don't you _dare_ blame that on Naruto! Ino and I were the ones with all the ideas!" And then, the thought occurred to Sakura so quickly that she didn't have time to even think about what she was saying. "Admit it. You hate Naruto because he reminds you of Dad when he beat you."_

_The hand that flew out was so fast that Sakura didn't even see it crack against her cheek. All she felt was the sting left from the palm of her mother's hand._

"_Don't you dare. Don't you dare bring up your father," her mother snarled._

The medic shook her head from the unexpected memory. She remembered why her mother had hated Naruto. In truth, Sakura's father had never really beaten her mother, not badly at least. It was maybe a small bruise on her arm every now and then because he would squeeze too hard, but Sakura remembered the time before he left the most. It had scared her, and obviously her mother, too.

"Oh!" Ino squealed.

Sakura glanced over in time to see Shikamaru shake his head. When her eyebrows rose, Shikamaru smirked and tilted his head in Ino's direction. "Such a lightweight," he whispered.

A short laugh echoed from Sakura's throat. "Not all of us are like you," she whispered back.

Shikamaru shrugged. "True."

"Guys! Kiba's finally made it! I'll be right back." Ino didn't leave time for anyone to protest or even comment. She hurried from her seat to meet Kiba. She looked back, noticing that Sakura wasn't really paying much attention. Ino pulled Kiba over, and whispered sharply in his ear.

"Well?"

"See for yourself," Kiba grinned.

Ino glanced over, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "You got him to come. Kiba, you know I love you forever, now, right?"

The dog lover laughed. "Yeah, I know. But she'll get hurt, you know. I think all three of them will, actually.

"Yeah…" Ino glanced back at Sakura. "But I think it'll be for the best. Hinata doesn't know what's good for her, and we know that Naruto is just using her as a distraction. As for Sakura… Well, she's miserable and we know that Naruto is too. They were only truly happy when they were together…"

"I know," Kiba agreed. "So what're you going to do?"

Ino grinned mischievously. "Well, what do you think I'm going to do?"

Kiba laughed good-naturedly as Ino flounced away in a rush of long blonde hair. The brown haired dog lover still didn't know how she managed to do it, but Ino had almost every single guy in the bar drooling over her. He watched Ino walk back to the table she and all of his other friends occupied, and smiled to himself.

"Sakura! Come on! We need to get more drinks," Ino informed her friend.

But Sakura shook her head. "No… I'd rather not, Ino. I think I'm good."

The blonde wasn't hearing it. "Ch, no you're not. You are coming with me right now." Ino grabbed Sakura's hand and hauled her from her seat. The medic laughed and let Ino drag her to the bar. A shock of brown hair caught her attention, and she turned her head to the right.

"Kiba! Hi!" Sakura exclaimed, pulling away from Ino to give her old classmate a hug. She didn't understand the quick look of panic on Kiba's face right before she hugged him, but the minute her eyes drifted past his shoulders, her whole entire body froze.

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"Come on, Naruto. You're already here," Kiba admonished. Still, the blonde didn't move from where he had stopped in front of the bar where they all met. It was strange—he had felt her when he was in his home, but for a while, he had been free of that feeling. Now it was back, but it wasn't pain at all. His body seemed to be quivering in excitement, and there was something brewing in his chest that he hadn't felt for a long time.

"I don't know what it is, Kiba," Naruto said softly. "It's like my body thinks she's here, even when my mind knows she isn't. I mean, I don't know why she'd even come back…"

Kiba sighed. _Ino mentioned something about Sakura saying the same thing… Goes to show how in sync they are even after six years… Oh well._ "Look, Naruto. We're already here. The others haven't seen you for a little while, and I know they'd like to see you again. So how about it? We go in, have a few drinks, and then leave."

Slowly, Naruto nodded. "All right." But as he walked through the doors, that feeling moved to his stomach, and his body was sweating, its senses on high alert for anything that would remotely resemble Sakura. Pale skin flashed by, and his eyes darted to her figure, only to see she had jet-black hair and was much skinnier than Sakura. A strawberry blonde passed, and he couldn't help himself. He had to look.

He and Kiba reached the bar, and Kiba ordered, asking for the bartender to put it on Ino's tab. The dog lover grinned widely at Naruto. "Well, it is her year to pay for everyone, and I know she's here, so why not?"

Naruto laughed, shaking his head but accepting the drink anyway. He took a swig and felt it sift down his throat and into his stomach, the alcohol swirling around. It felt good to get some alcohol in his system, and he sighed. This was what he needed. Tonight he just needed to forget. Ever since she had left her memory had plagued him, and no distraction no matter how nice or how pretty could make the memory of her disappear.

A few minutes and another glass later, Naruto glanced at Kiba, looking at him quizzically as his brown haired friend walked off. But he saw Ino walk up to Kiba, and smiled, moving his hand to ask for another glass of whatever he was having. It tasted like beer—the good brand, of course—and he was fairly sure that's what it was. It definitely wasn't sake; the stuff was too strong for him. He wasn't sure why he couldn't drink it, but it got him buzzed too fast.

Kiba came back to sit next to him, smiling and jabbing a thumb in Ino's direction. "She wants us to sit over there, but I told her I'd have to talk to you first since you've been having… you know… social issues."

"Social issues?"

"Yeah."

"Psh. I don't have social problems."

"Fine," Kiba agreed. "Withdrawal issues then," and there was a small smirk in the corner of Kiba's mouth. Naruto knew why. He wasn't quite buzzed yet, but his tongue was definitely looser than it had been.

He laughed. "Now I can agree with that. She won't leave me alone."

Kiba nodded, but Naruto knew Kiba didn't really know what to say. So the blonde simply swirled the contents of his glass around and around, wondering if he was crazy enough yet to see her face, or even to start hearing voices. It had been long enough, and even though he wasn't drunk yet, he missed her more than he thought possible.

And suddenly, the sweetest sound filled his ears. "Kiba! Hi!"

_That voice._ Naruto couldn't move. His hand froze where it was, and his entire body went on red alert. There was no way he could mistake that voice, even if he hadn't heard it for six years. The sound had haunted his dreams—the sound of her yelling, of the way her voice cracked when she cried, of when that little sound slipped from her throat when he kissed her.

His head whipped around. He couldn't help it. His eyes studied her, not able to look away. She couldn't see him yet, but he knew two things for certain: Sakura definitely wasn't nineteen anymore, and she looked hot. He didn't remember when she had last curled her hair. Her eyelids were lightly shaded, but her eyelashes stuck out, fanning over jade eyes that looked exactly the same.

She moved to hug Kiba, and as her arms met around his shoulders, her stare collided with his. She froze.

Neither could move. Naruto couldn't move if he wanted to. Even four feet away, Naruto caught a faint whiff of her smell. It hadn't changed. Everything in his body jumped; he hadn't been near her for six years.

Kiba slowly pulled away, but Sakura stayed frozen. "Um… I'm just gonna… you know… leave," Kiba mumbled quietly.

"Sakura…" The name flowed from his lips, and it seemed as if something had woken up inside of her. There was a flash of something that lit her eyes, but it was quickly replaced as she whirled on Ino.

"Ino-pig! How could you! I know you tricked me into doing this!"

The anger of her voice—so familiar—seemed to wake something inside of him, too. He blinked rapidly, watching Ino walk away and leaving a fuming Sakura right next to him. He wasn't sure what to do let alone say.

She turned to the bartender. "Sake, double shot. And put it on Ino's tab, will you?"

"Sake? I thought you couldn't hold your liquor." The words had slipped from his mouth before he even knew he had said them. And he knew it was not the right thing he was supposed to say.

Sakura scoffed. "Oh, I can hold my liquor. The question is if you can."

"Yeah, I can hold my liquor. But sake? Strong stuff, Sakura. Especially for you."

"What would you know about me?" she fumed, suddenly turning on him. "You haven't spoken to me for over six years." Sakura took a quick swig of sake.

"Like that's my fault!" Naruto protested. "No one could even contact you! Do you know how hard Ino tried to contact you?" For a moment, her eyes shifted back to her glass. "You hurt her a lot, Sakura." Saying her name so freely felt so good.

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry," she said bitterly. "It's not like you haven't done the same thing. I'll bet anything you've been screwing around with her…"

Naruto whirled on his seat. "Oh yeah, and you have probably screwed every guy that you work with!"

"Uzumaki Naruto, that is _not_—"

"Well, what do you expect when you accuse people—"

"Hey!"

Both glanced at the bartender.

"Tone it down, would you? I've got customers over here."

"Yeah, yeah, all right, Kaiku," Naruto amended, returning to his drink. "Hey, can you get me some of that sake, too?"

"God, Naruto… You sure you want some?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Why not, Kaiku?"

The bartender scoffed. "That's your third one and you know—"

"Just pour me one, anyway, Kaiku, okay?"

"All right, all right. But don't blame me when you wake up tomorrow morning completely unaware of what you did tonight." The bartender handed Naruto a whole bottle of sake, and the blonde lifted it to his lips. He put it down, his mouth quirking as the alcohol burned down his throat.

Sakura had already finished her sake, and scoffed. "You know what? You drink yourself to death Naruto." She moved from her seat, and stepped over to him, purposefully spreading his knees and standing in between his legs. He gulped, and blood whirled throughout his veins. "I don't care. I'm going to go dance," she whispered, letting her breath sift over his neck and ear as she gently dragged her fingertips across his chest.

She pulled back, a strange, dark look in her eyes as she set her glass down and walked onto the dance floor. Naruto took another swig of sake, watching her hips sway as she walked away. He only just noticed the club's dimness, but he could still see her clearly among the peppered lights of the dance floor.

Her hips moved slowly at first before she grabbed one guy's drink and downed the contents. Naruto's lip pulled back over his teeth as Sakura gave the glass back to him and grabbed his shoulders, straddling one of his legs and twirling her hips into his. Naruto knew she was teasing him, especially by the way she gently swung her vision to him, daring him to do something about it.

Naruto let the jealously creep up his limbs to swirl in his gut. His eyes followed everything she did, and he felt a simmer of anger when the guy Sakura was dancing with dipped her back, one hand supporting her back and one grabbing her ass. Another swig of sake and the alcohol joined the anger and jealousy in his veins, spreading a slight fog in his mind.

He knew Sakura had to have been drinking before he came. When she had been close, he had smelled the aftertaste of alcohol on her breath, and for her to have two double shots of sake would have gotten her fairly buzzed. As much as Naruto didn't want to be, he was a lightweight too. He didn't ever drink much, and sake just seemed to have the right ingredients to make him crazy.

Now Sakura was grinding her ass into the guy's crotch, and Naruto had finally had enough. He downed another gulp of sake before striding to the dance floor, shoving the guy aside and turning Sakura around. He could see the surprise on her face before it melted into something else. He saw her lips curve and her eyes flutter seductively. Her small hands reached up to his shoulders, and Naruto grabbed her hips, pulling her to him so he could feel her.

It had been so long since he had felt her against him, and he didn't want to let go. His hands dug into her hips, and her fingers were gripping his shoulders. Her head was tucked into his pectoral, and she let her hips twirl over his leg. Naruto's head fell to her shoulder, letting the sensations of having her close wash over him. He hadn't realized how badly his body had ached for her until he had her this close. It sent shivers down his spine, and he let his hands travel further around Sakura's waist.

Her muscles tightened ever so slightly, but he decided to try anyway. He wrapped his hands around her derriere, squeezing slowly. But he didn't expect her head to fall back and her stomach to arch into him as a strangled moan left her lips.

_Oh god…_ was the only thought crossing his mind. Everything else in his body was tuned into Sakura and the way she tilted and swung her hips from side to side. The movements were slower this time, and a low groan rumbled in his throat at the feelings twisting his gut. His hands moved from her derriere to her waist, carefully lifting the bottom of her shirt and sifting his fingers over skin. Oh god it was so soft—even if it was already covered in a light sheen of sweat from dancing so hard. He could feel her heavy breath through his shirt, and his muscles tensed.

Suddenly, Sakura turned around, still moving in slow, teasing circles. Naruto's hands grasped her stomach, then pulled her up to crush her back to his chest. His breath was fast on her neck, but at the bit of air on her skin she thrust her head back, resting it on his shoulder as an ache clenched through her body. The tiniest of whimpers forced its way off her lips, and Naruto took the invitation to gently touch his lips to her neck. He felt her entire body shudder at the light touch, and something inside him sprang to life.

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Sakura knew she shouldn't be doing this. But she needed it—had wanted it for so long she didn't even realize she couldn't bring herself to stop. Dancing with Naruto was electrifying, and the beat of the music pounded in her head, setting a rhythm that she could follow. But this was _Naruto_, her ex-boyfriend, but she found that it didn't matter.

God, she had missed him so much. His touch set her whole body aflame, and she couldn't seem to get enough air. And it also seemed that she had drank a bit too much. That glorious haze in her mind had set in, but it didn't detract from the knowledge that this was the only man she had wanted since she was nineteen. And he was here, dancing with her, touching her like she belonged to him.

Sakura ground against Naruto, almost ecstatic at the response she felt. He was definitely still attracted to her, even if she had sensed it before he had even started to seriously drink. Still, _feeling_ it was so much better, so different from just knowing. She could feel him, could touch him, could make him want, and it felt strangely amazing to hold that power.

But Naruto whirled her around, and she had to hold onto him so she didn't stumble. He held her up, and even before she was firmly on her feet Naruto crushed her lips to his. It was hard at first, but then his hand was behind her head, gently requesting that she kiss him. It wasn't even a decision. Sakura let him lead, slowly opening and closing her mouth as she kissed him before her body demanded the pace to quicken.

One hand gripped his hair in response, pulling him closer, and she let out a heated sigh, pressing her body close to him. Naruto responded. His hands were everywhere, and it seemed as if she wasn't close enough. Sakura lifted a leg experimentally, circling it around his hips.

The air rushed out of Naruto's lungs, and he attacked her lips with even more force. He bent down, kissing her neck and nibbling on her earlobe, and Sakura's hands tightened on his shirt. A breathless gasp flitted from Sakura's lips before Naruto came back up, hands on either side of her head as he kissed her mouth again. She had wanted this. Oh god, she had wanted this for six long years.

Naruto's hands were everywhere, setting her skin on fire, and Sakura could barely catch her breath. The alcohol made her mouth dry, but it also made her not care about anything but the sensations in her gut swirling like coiled flame. She just wanted Naruto close.

Suddenly, he picked her up, Sakura's first instincts taking over and commanding her legs to wrap around his waist. Naruto carried her outside to the back of the club. He set her down on her feet but pushed back, effectively shoving her into the wall. She was trapped and she knew it, but it felt so damn good. It felt good to have his body pressed flush against hers, and she could feel his need through his jeans and her skirt. She knew he wanted her, but the intensity of her own want surprised her.

Somehow, she forced him away, and her first instinct, more out of habit than anything else, was to blame him. "What the hell, Naruto?"

He blinked and growled, "Don't even lie."

"Ugh, I'm not talking about that! I'm talking about this." She waved her hand at the two of them. "What are we doing? I mean, you're with… you're with Hinata of all people and…"

"Sakura, listen to me. You are the only girl that I have ever wanted."

She couldn't hold it back any longer. She had to know the truth, and she didn't care if she sounded angry or jealous. She had to know the truth. "So then why were you in that alley with her, huh?" Sakura shouted. "Why would you betray my trust like that?"

All the emotions from the contact they had just shared seemed to be shortening even Naruto's notoriously long temper fuse, and he was suddenly shouting, too. "Damn it, for the last time, I was getting her opinion! I wasn't about to propose to you and not know a thing about what I was doing! I wanted it to be special, Sakura, and I knew that you and Ino didn't really have the same tastes! But…" Naruto backed away as if burned, running a hand through his hair. Sakura hated the loss of contact.

Naruto looked up at her, eyes a mix of emotions. When he spoke again, his voice broke. "What are you doing here, Sakura? Why are you even here, I mean…" He licked his lips, gathering his thoughts. "You swore that you were never coming back to this town. You swore that you never wanted to see me again. And suddenly I see you, and we dance and you kiss me like you did when we were—" He backed away another step. She cursed the space between them.

But Sakura didn't know what to say. Why did she come? Why did she _really_ decide to visit Konoha again? She remembered saying that she never wanted to see this wretched town again, and that she never wanted to see Naruto after she left. But something had been aching—empty—while she had been in Suna, and here with Naruto she felt… whole. She felt as if everything was right in the world, even though it really wasn't, and she really didn't mind it.

Hearing about him and Hinata had made her angry. And yet she knew that he didn't really like Hinata—not like he had her anyway. He had been vibrant and full of life. He seemed like an empty vessel now; Sakura couldn't see that same spark in his eyes that he had had when they first met; his eyes looked hollow, like the person inside had died a long time ago.

"I don't know," she whispered finally.

"Tell me," Naruto begged. "Tell me that you missed me." His eyes were pleading with her to say yes. She didn't want to say it, but god, she had missed him so much!

"I—" She choked on the words. But he knew. She knew that her eyes told him what he wanted to know. She knew she was looking at him like he made her cry, like he made her angry, and like he made her want him more than she knew it was even possible.

And suddenly, all her previous worries disappeared. She knew without a doubt that Naruto loved only her, and that he was trying to do something special for her when her mother had taken the picture. She knew that he would never treat her badly or purposefully try to hurt her, even as he dragged her to the parking lot until they reached his newly painted bike. Tears filled her eyes when she saw the paintjob.

"Please? Please come home with me." He didn't say it like his house was an alternate home for her. He said it like she _belonged_ in that house with him. He said it like it was her _only_ home.

Without saying a word Sakura sat behind him as he cranked the engine and she wrapped her arms around his waist, her breath catching as he raced his bike into the night. She put her forehead to his shoulder, and could feel his heat through the clothes. Her heart was hammering in her chest. She knew what he wanted.

But what did she want?

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**A/N:** Yay for the third chapter! Compared to the other two, this one is long! I had sooooooooo much fun writing it though! Talk about using your own party experience to work out these scenes… lol! Ah, it was fun! Well, I hope you guys like the chapter. I'm so good at exploiting cliffies, aren't I? Tehehe! One of my specialties ;).

Well, for those of you who would like to know and for those who must be warned, there **will be a lemon** in the next chapter. And there might be quite a few in that chapter and other chapters, and they're to test my ability in writing an explicit scene. It's also to see if anyone wants one of my crappy lemons in LITR. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!

- wolf's paradise


	4. Day 4

**A/N:** I know it's kinda weird, but technically, this is day 4 because it's past midnight. Hahaha! I'm deviant. Lol, not really, but I'm just trying to be funny. Anyway. I'm so glad to be done with this chapter, and I'm sorry that you guys had to wait for so long before I finally finished it. It's just that every time I wrote the goddamn sex scene it wasn't right or the lead in to it wasn't how I wanted it to be, so it was just finding the right moments and whatnot.

I hope you guys like this, and I hope that all you _LITR_ readers will let me know if you still want lemons in _LITR_. I still think mine are pretty bad but we'll see, so… Here's the very first NaruSaku lemon ever written by me, wolf's paradise.

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_I can't imagine all the people that you know… When the lights are turned down low, I'm slippin in between you and your big dreams… It's always you in my big dreams… It's not hard to dream that you'll always be mine…_

_It's just you and me… Don't be scared, I'm right here… I've waited my whole life for this one night… And it's just you and me… There's no one else that matters… You love me and I won't ever let you fall…_

_And I'm so addicted to everything you do…_

Songs: _Konstantine_ (Something Corporate) and _Forever_ (Chris Brown) and _Addicted_ (Saving Abel)

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4. Day Four

Despite the fact that Yamanako Ino – now Nara Ino – was able to plan something almost flawlessly, she had never expected for things to work this well, or fast for that matter. She hurried over to Kiba, ignoring her husband's rolling eyes. In a way, she hated how smart he was because with just a quick look he could figure out any scheme she might have planned. And he knew that his wife was up to something.

"Kiba!"

The brown haired man turned, eyes just as wide as Ino's. The blond woman panted, "I didn't think it would really work like this. I mean, look at them!"

Naruto's head was down, eyes watching the sensuous roll of Sakura's hips as they oscillated ever so slowly against his groin. Sakura's face was turned over her shoulder, glancing back at the man behind her to gauge his reaction. Suddenly, he twirled her around, catching her before mashing his lips into hers. For a moment, Ino was worried that Sakura wouldn't respond, that she'd complain Naruto was taking things too far, but then his hands softened.

It was quite mesmerizing to see. There was no doubt that there was something between the two, something that was sparking like a hidden flame. The blond woman quickly glanced at the table to her left. Everyone's eyes were drawn to the dance floor; Tenten appeared to be the only one who was clueless about the whole thing. Neji was leaning close to her ear, obviously telling her about Naruto and Sakura's story. The more he whispered, the more grave Tenten's face became.

Actually, the more Ino's eyes glazed over the bar's occupants, the more she saw that most had their eyes glued onto the strange couple in the middle. And it was no wonder. Anyone who stared could see that there was a sort of magic between the two dancers. It seemed as if every touch bespoke of a love long forgotten, of an intrinsic desire and attraction that had been there before they had even met.

Moments later, their lips were locked together, and they couldn't get enough of each other. Sakura lifted her leg, catching it on his waist, and his response was almost immediate. He crushed her to him, finally lifting her into the air and letting her thighs clamp around him. Then, he stumbled out of the bar.

Ino sighed, running a hand nervously through her hair. It didn't matter that her plan had worked almost perfectly; she was still a little buzzed and it masked the worry that she really should feel. Kiba joined her as she slowly walked back to the table filled with their other friends.

Tenten leaned forward. "Was Neji telling the truth? About all that had happened to them?"

"If you're talking about how they were in love, then she broke it off cause she thought he was cheating and then left for six years only to find out that he's technically still with another girl, then yes, Neji was telling the truth."

"Oh my," Tenten breathed. "That's terrible."

"Yes," Ino nodded. "You know, we met him when we were about nine. He begged to help us prank one of our neighbors, so we let him, after he proved that he could be good at pranking people, of course. I think he's loved Sakura since a few months after he joined us, when she pulled a prank on him and got him soaked in honey."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and Neji smiled, both remembering the day that it had all started. It wasn't one that they would easily forget soon, or ever.

"That must have been horrible for him, being covered with all that honey," Tenten laughed.

"He was pretty embarrassed," Ino chuckled. "But I've never seen him look at any girl the way he looks at Sakura. She went out with a couple guys, but when she finally decided to give Naruto a chance, it was like something clicked between the two. I can't even describe it."

"What do you mean?" Tenten asked, quirking her head to the side, eyes intense as she leaned forward, eager to hear more about the two people she had met separately, but had looked so right together.

"They're just… _right_ for each other, you know? But they're like… I mean, you see them, and… and…" Ino's hands waved in the air as she searched her brain for something to say, but she couldn't think of anything. "Um… They go together, you know? Like two pieces of a puzzle…" she trailed off again.

"He is heaven, and she is earth. You can't think of one without the other," Shino murmured quietly.

Everyone blinked, surprised that Shino had spoken. Ino nodded slowly. "Yes," she whispered. "That's exactly it." She glanced at the door again, wondering what was happening beyond it. She hoped that Sakura wasn't letting her pride get the better of her. Things would go downhill if the pink haired woman let her pride rule her head.

Shikamaru made some sort of noncommittal noise, glancing at Ino. The blonde knew her husband was aware that his wife had been planning something since Naruto and Sakura met like this in a bar. "Ino, aren't you worried that Sakura isn't coming home with us tonight?"

"Nope." Her answer was short, sweet, and utterly devious. "Because it's obvious that there's someone else she's going home with." And her happy smile said it all.

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This was definitely Naruto's house. It felt like it always had whenever Sakura had visited his home over six years ago. Her troubles would disappear, and it felt like she knew where she finally belonged. She felt _home_.

She turned, searching Naruto's ocean blue eyes and knowing what he wanted. But she wanted to stall for a bit. She wasn't quite ready to admit that she desperately wanted him, too. She still thought of Hinata and how all of this would break the girl's heart, but her resistance was slowly crumbling.

"Um… Do you have anything to eat? If I don't eat something, I'll have this terrible hangover in the morning, and, uh…"

"I remember," he said quickly, voice low. She smiled fleetingly and watched him leave the living room to get something from his kitchen. Well, she was telling the truth. Her stomach felt empty and slightly raw. She wasn't a heavy drinker, and the occasional whiff of sake after a hard day of work wasn't enough to give her a high tolerance for the stuff. But she would either throw up or have a horrible hangover the next morning if she didn't eat something.

And dammit, Naruto remembered that. How much more did he remember about her?

He stepped back into the living room, bringing with him a tray of sushi and two homemade smoothies. Sakura looked away, cheeks heating in a blush. Well, he obviously remembered much more than she had thought.

One night, after they had decided to get extremely drunk (screw being underage! They were nineteen and dammit, they would have some fun), Sakura had demanded that they get some food so the liquor wouldn't give her a hangover in the morning. After trying to cook ramen – to which they failed miserably – they ordered sushi. The only thing that Naruto had to drink at the time that wasn't plain water were his homemade smoothies, so they had proceeded to eat and drink until they had both passed out on the couch.

"You remembered," she murmured, chuckling a bit.

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah… I figured it would be a good memory, you know? Considering we were drinking not too long ago."

Sakura laughed as she popped one of the small sushi balls into her mouth. She smiled wistfully as the tastes melted onto her tongue. It was her favorite – smoked salmon and feta cheese wrapped in sesame-flavored rice and held together by gently steamed seaweed.

And this wasn't the store bought sushi. Well, it could be, but it tasted too good to be store bought. Either that or it was takeout from a four or five-star restaurant. After taking a long pull from her fruit smoothie, Sakura sighed, wiping her hands on the napkin provided, thankful that the smoothie would be enough to mask the aftertaste of fish.

"Why didn't you believe me?"

The quiet question hung in the air.

Honestly, she really didn't know. She knew that there was no reason for Naruto to cheat on her, but doubts took root, even though she'd had no doubts in the first place. Maybe it was the fact that it had been new territory for their relationship, for both of them, and worry of being caught had eaten away at her confidence like a virus.

"Sakura?"

She hated hearing the pain in his voice. "I don't know," she murmured. "I think it was because we were going to… you know, and I was starting to doubt whether I was really the one you wanted or if was just something that was happening."

He sighed heavily, placing his head in his hands. "How could you even think that?"

Her brows furrowed, temper flaring. "Well, sorry that I apparently thought too much when it came to sex."

The blonde scoffed. "You always tend to do that – too much."

"I'm sorry, okay!" she suddenly yelled, green eyes flashing angrily. "I really don't know why the fuck I doubted you, but I did! I can't control my thoughts any more than you can!"

"There shouldn't have even been a doubt in your mind!" Naruto argued, reacting to her anger and shoving himself to his feet. He raked a hand nervously through his hair.

"Goddamn it!" she cried, standing as well and moving to stand directly in front of him, green eyes boring into his. It was ridiculous the memories assaulting her and how attuned her body was to his – completely ridiculous. And now they had already fought twice in a matter of hours, and they never fought. Fan_freakin_tastic.

"You are ridiculous."

Naruto turned on her. "_I'm_ ridiculous? You were the one grinding your ass against a random guy in a bar!"

"I was _drunk_, Naruto!"

"Don't you dare lie to me," he growled, towering over her. "You had been drinking before, but you were nowhere _near_ being drunk."

"Well, I—" She exhaled for a moment, gathering her thoughts. His proximity was unsettling, especially since she refused to back down and he was a head taller than she. "What the hell was I supposed to do?" she spat. "We were fighting _at a bar_. The only reason I was on the floor was because I was getting away from you!"

"You were teasing me!" he argued. "I saw you look back at me while you were dancing with some other guy!"

"I did not!" she retorted, but her blush said otherwise.

His gaze jerked to hers. "Yeah, sure, deny it all you want, Sakura. Anyone can tell you're fucking lying!"

"I have been gone for six years. You don't know me at all, Naruto!"

"I don't care what you say," Naruto said, enunciating each word as he moved just a step closer. She refused to back down. "I still know you, Sakura. And I bet that you did just what your mommy always wanted you to: you got a 'proper' job away from this crappy town, and maybe even a prissy cunt boyfriend."

Her eyes widened, shock making her recoil from the man in front of her. "How dare you?" Her voice was soft, but he couldn't doubt the hurt and accusation in her words.

Naruto's jaw tightened, and he blinked, the only signs that he thought he might have gone a little too far. But he couldn't seem to stop. "You choose to be believe your mother over me when you _knew_ that she hated me—"

"I haven't talked to my mother since I left here!"

"Yeah, well I'm pretty sure she's ecstatic that you got rid of trash like me. She hated my guts anyway," he snarled angrily.

Sakura shook her head. "How can you say that? I have never thought you were trash!"

"Then why did you ever choose to believe that vindictive bitch over me?" All too late, Naruto's expression changed. He knew that this time he had gone too far.

The pink haired woman blinked as if Naruto had just slapped her. It didn't matter that Sakura wasn't fond of her mother. Even if Naruto's insult had been true, that woman was still part of Sakura's family. It almost felt as if he had called her the vindictive bitch. "I hate you," she whispered angrily, tears choking her voice. "I should never have come here."

She shoved her way past him, trying to stop the tears blurring her vision. She hated fighting, especially with Naruto. They had only fought on occasion back when they had been together, and even then they had been silly fights made up with a simple kiss.

But this was different. They were twenty-five now, and there were so many things left unspoken, so many hurt feelings that had been given too long to fester. All the wrong things were being said from bitterness and even jealousy. She knew she shouldn't have come. It was a mistake to think that maybe she could have patched things up, to be friends with Naruto again, and it wasn't just because they were fighting.

Every time she looked into his eyes, her heart would jump. His smell tied her stomach in knots, and when he'd touch her electricity would shoot through her veins. She wanted him. Dear god, she wanted him, and that was why "just friends" would never work. She would always long for him to be hers, for her to be the one to hold him and drive him crazy.

Her momentum was halted as a hand shot out, grabbing her arm and whirling her around. Sharp blue eyes drilled into her green ones, and she couldn't help it as a small tear trickled from the outside of her eye. Her chest constricted as she gazed at the startling color, over bright with an emotion she couldn't describe.

"You… You can't mean that. _Please_ don't mean that," he murmured, voice breaking with desperation.

"Look at us, Naruto!" she argued, but she made no move to pull away. Teeth worried her lower lip as she tried to calm the sea of emotions raging out of control. The action caught Naruto's eye. "We've already fought twice in one day, and we _never_ fight. I can't… I can't do this. I can't fight with you."

The blonde raised his gaze from her lips. "Please, I— I'm sorry…! You… You don't hate me… right? I mean…"

His gaze wavered from one eye to the other, searching, silently begging her to affirm his question. Her eyebrows scrunched together. She couldn't look away from the pure anguish on his face. "Of course I don't hate you, Naruto. But we've never fought like this. We're saying the first thing that comes to mind without even thinking, and it's making everything worse."

Calloused fingers grazed her cheek, and she bit back a sob, chest aching almost unbearably as she leaned into the touch.

"Say it again," he whispered, the grip on her arm loosening to become a caress as he took a small step closer, letting her presence wash over him.

"I could never hate you."

A relieved sigh escaped his lips, and he leaned forward, resting his forehead on Sakura's. Another tear slipped down her cheek as she closed her eyes. The rough pad of his thumb gently wiped it away.

She inhaled, using every bit of control she still possessed to try to pull away. "I can't stay, Naruto." God, it hurt so much to say it, but she had to leave. Now that they had sorted a few things out, she felt as if she could at least have some peace. "It's not right for me to be here. Please take me back to Ino's."

"No."

"Naruto, don't make this any harder than it already is."

"I can't let you go."

She cursed. "Stop making this so difficult!"

"Sakura." His voice was firm, and demanded her attention. She looked into his eyes, and his gaze burned her, set her on fire. "I have waited six years to have this chance, and I am not letting you go again. I _can't_ let you go."

The paramedic gasped. His eyes had darkened, flicking to her mouth as she chewed on her lip again, a nervous habit she had picked up during the stressful situations of taking care of fire victims in Suna. The lust-filled gaze sparked a warmth in the pit of her stomach, and her pulse quickened. A part of her wanted to say no, to keep protesting, but his eyes bespoke of so many things, and her ardor increased.

"Stay."

The feelings that she had tried to suppress surged back through her with a vengeance, and there was no doubt in her mind what her answer would be.

Her tongue flicked out to wet her lips, and she nodded slightly, Naruto barely catching the move as his eyes were drawn to the pink appendage. His hand grazed down her arm, its rough texture creating a pleasurable friction as he draped her left arm over his shoulder. She glanced at his mouth, mesmerized by its shape until he maneuvered them back. She gasped when her back touched the wall, and glanced at him nervously, afraid of the want engulfing her body and setting it on fire.

His hands were so gentle, tilting her chin so she had to look him in the eye. As he pressed closer, everything in her body was screaming, trying to get closer, and she obliged. She had been denied for far to long, and now that she had this chance, she was taking it.

Just as his touch had teased her, she dragged her fingertips up the sides of his hips, testing, dipping to his abdomen and the top of his pants. She hooked her fingers into the waistband of his jeans, pulling his hips closer as a small hiss escaped through his clenched teeth. A small smirk lit her face, and she could see the control slip from Naruto's fingers.

It was so quick that Sakura didn't have much time to respond. Naruto dashed in, catching her lips in his, throwing everything he had into the contact between them. He placed his hands on the wall to support his weight, but Sakura wasn't having any of it. She grabbed his shirt and tugged him closer, his elbows collapsing from the surprising strength she had exerted. His body crashed against hers, and she panted into his mouth as the sensations jolted through her body.

"Oh god, Sakura," he murmured. "Tell me this isn't a dream. Please tell me that this is real, that I get another chance."

She gasped as his fingers did this wonderful thing to her skin and she arched against him. "It's real, Naruto," she whispered.

A loud moan reached his ears when his thumb grazed over a spot just above her hip. Her body shuddered against him, and he moved his lips to her neck, hot breath causing her hands to grip his shirt even harder. Finally, his ministrations were too much. She disposed him of his shirt, and drank in his appearance.

Experimentally, she reached out, fingers splayed against the various muscles clenching and twitching underneath her hands. Naruto looked just as good as he had six years ago – perhaps even better. The muscle wasn't enough to be intimidating, but enough to see that he was very fit. Tiny tufts of straw blond hair swirled around his belly button and trailed beneath the cover of his jeans. She didn't even hear his loud breathing as she studied him; he was mesmerizing.

The heat of her stare made his groin twitch, and he let out a low moan. "G-God, Sakura!" he gasped when she gently kissed one side of his chest before repeating the motion on the other side.

She smiled at his reaction. She could feel the tension inside of him bunch his muscles, his jaw clenching rhythmically as he tried to keep some semblance of control. And now that they were here, she wanted to snatch that control away from him. She dragged her nails down his chest, smirking slightly when he jerked.

"No fair," he breathed, turning the tables as he grabbed her shirt and lifted it over her head. His stare was like flame that licked through her, her body reacting to it as if it were some physical force. She groaned loudly as he placed an open-mouthed kiss on her collarbone. "You wore it."

For a moment, she couldn't form any words past the haze in her mind, but she forced her mouth to work. "Well, you… you like orange, but I have a black lace one…"

He shook his head, whispering, "Orange is perfect," and she gasped as his breath ghosted over her more exposed flesh. A hand tenderly cupped her left breast, and a small cry left her lips. His left hand gripped her shoulder as he fought to keep the touch light. She panted, her body screaming for more than just simple touches.

"Naruto! Please!" she gasped, hands gripping his shoulders as his fingertips grazed the skin just above her bra. He continued, driving her crazy from the slow pace. "You tease!"

"…Payback," he grunted playfully, the tone slightly marred by the desire thickening his voice.

Her body writhed underneath his touch until his lips brushed her heated flesh. She suddenly stilled before shivering when he kissed her again, hips jerking as the pleasure swept over her skin. He groaned and had to grip her hips, because if they ground against him anymore, he wouldn't have the control to go slowly.

She speared her fingers through his hair, and he lifted his lips to her neck. She was not about to be outdone. Sakura slowly brought her face next to his, flicking her tongue against his ear. His shudder was all the affirmation she needed before she bit down on his lobe – hard. Naruto jumped, breath shuddering against her neck. She reached around and pulled him closer, shoving her hips into his and wrapping a leg around his waist as her fingers traced every contour of his torso. He groaned, hissing when one of her fingers swirled around his belly button.

There was no doubt how much he wanted her, but she wanted to feel him. Her calf tightened around his hip, and she careened into the wall. Her breathing was ragged and uneven, pleasure snapping through her core as she felt Naruto's arousal through his jeans. He groaned, the need clear in the way his breath puffed quickly against her neck. His hands tightened in her hair as her hips continued their sensuous dance.

Quickly, he claimed her lips again, their kisses now rough with their desire. Sakura slanted her head, letting her tongue glide over Naruto's lips to grace his tongue. He tasted like she remembered he had six years ago, only with an aftertaste of alcohol. But even with the liquor, she knew it wasn't affecting anything happening at the moment.

He let her explore. Her tongue swept the caverns of his mouth before entwining with his. Fire swept from her mouth to her toes, the heat not just coming from Naruto's lips. Her hips were still moving, trying to feel more of him through her skirt. She couldn't stop; she loved his reaction to her. When he couldn't stand it anymore, she could tell.

Fingers deftly depraved Sakura of her skirt, the small _plunk_ reaching her ears as it hit the floor. She could only glance at him before clumsily tugging his jeans open and letting them slide down his legs. Their lips parted, and Naruto looked down, taking in Sakura's orange, polka-dot bra and black lace-edged panties. He looked captivated, a hand slowly reaching down to trace over the thin fabric. Sakura's hands clenched into fists as his fingers explored her sex, and she arched helplessly, a sharp cry adding to the tension saturating the air.

The medic caught Naruto's lips again, diverting his attention. She jumped up, forcing his hand away as her legs wrapped viciously around his waist and her back hit the wall again. Her eyes opened, the jade dark with her desire and raw need for him. He stared back, the same look mirrored in his eyes.

He readjusted his grip on her thighs, then moved toward the bedroom, stumbling as he tried to kiss her at the same time. Her fingers were twirling his hair and slipping down his spine, drawing his concentration away from his feet. In the back of her mind, she was glad to be out of the living room, but Naruto's hands tightened on her legs, and his name escaped her lips in a moan.

Sakura gently felt the mattress dip with her weight as Naruto set her down, and her eyes rolled as she twirled her hips, the fabric in between their bodies creating a delicious friction as the bulge in his boxers pressed against her core. Naruto hovered over her, hips fitting perfectly between her creamy thighs. She shuddered as the pleasure slicked through her body.

His gaze flick down, resting on her chest, and her stomach tightened with anticipation. Her fingers deftly slipped over the planes of his abdomen, and she leaned forward, chewing on his ear.

Suddenly, he pushed her down – not hard, but enough to let her know that he couldn't wait any longer. In one swift motion her bra had been discarded, and his thumb traced the underline of her breast. His breath was hot, tantalizing, and his hands were heaven as he gently massaged both of her breasts.

"Mine," he whispered, voice thick with lust. "My vixen." Surprise and desire shivered up her spine. God, that name could still make her melt.

The pleasure was almost enough to drive her crazy. Slowly, the pressure increased, and she couldn't stop the sharp gasps and muffled moans that slipped through her lips at his ministrations. Suddenly, he rolled one of her nipples in his fingers, and the flame that licked through her body was enough to tighten the ache in her core.

In one smooth motion, his hands trailed down her stomach, fingering the waistband of her panties. Quickly, she threw her panties to the floor as he shoved his boxers down. She could almost feel the tension in the air skyrocket.

A blush reddened her cheeks as she took in the sight of him. Granted, it was dark in the room, but she didn't care. With whatever light there was, she could still see him, and he was perfect. She slowly reached forward, tentatively wrapping a hand around his virility and giving him an experimental tug. He hissed through tightly clenched teeth, and she smiled slightly. Carefully, he pushed her hand away, using his eyes to tell her what he wanted. He leaned over her, testing, and desire raced through her blood as she felt the broad head of his erection nudge the wet folds of her center.

Her breath hitched when he moved, the head slipping in a small inch. "Sakura," he murmured. "Look at me."

She shuddered, turning her half closed gaze on him. Her eyes flew open as he thrust into her, hot and hard. A shattered cry broke from her throat as the pleasure sent tongues of flame through every nerve in her body. He felt better than she could have ever imagined – like he had finally made her whole, complete. For a moment, he didn't move, muffling his groans in her shoulder. Her death grip on his arms loosened as her muscles stretched around him, and she raised her hips, hooking her legs behind his waist and sheathing him completely.

Slowly, he rolled his hips experimentally, and her body responded. Her hips twirled, matching his movement, his length stretching her almost painfully. He was so close to her that she couldn't tell where he ended and she began, and she knew that she was always meant to be with him.

There was no doubt that he fit her perfectly, as if he had been made to love her. His hands, though calloused from countless hours of working with engines, were gentle and caring, loving and touching her as though she were made from the finest porcelain. The rhythm of his hips showed how well he still knew her, setting a moderate pace and punctuating it with occasional short thrusts that had her arching helplessly against him.

It was almost too much. Her muscles quivered, reaching the peak, holding on to her last bit of sanity. She refused to let go. His thrusts were becoming more erratic, more penetrating, and she knew that he was close, too. Suddenly, he thrust into her with as much force as he possibly could, and she screamed, muscles clenching as the intensity of her climax shattered through her.

He pushed in again, moaning as her inner muscles squeezed him tighter with each tantalizing pulse, and she felt him release inside of her. She bit his shoulder as she rode the remainder of her climax, and he muffled his own groan of completion in her collarbone. Her fingers were light, dancing across his skin as he placed loving kisses on her neck and jaw.

Sakura sucked in the air saturated with sweat and sex as she tried to catch her breath. A lazy smile curled the corners of her lips, and she didn't care that her legs felt like jelly and her back was numb. The pleasure still swirled through her blood, and Naruto's weight on top of her was pleasant, welcome even.

"Sakura?" he murmured, almost as if he were afraid he had asked her to do something that she hadn't been ready for. He pulled out and pushed his weight to his arms.

"Hush," she whispered, placing a finger on his lips. She knew he could see the pleasure reflected in her eyes, and she saw him smile back at her. Her body melted against the mattress and her eyelids were drifting shut in exhaustion.

She sighed in dismay when she felt him pull away. She didn't want him to leave. She wanted to him to stay, to hold her, and suddenly, she realized that was exactly what he was doing. His hands were gentle as he pulled the sheets back over the bed, crawling into it next to her.

"It's okay, vixen," he said softly, the use of her nickname causing her heart to jump. It felt so good to hear it again. "Go to sleep. I'll be here."

She could barely manage a sleepy nod, but there was one more thing that sprang to her lips before she surrendered to sweet unconsciousness.

"I love you."

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Waking up early had never been a strong point of his; he wasn't always very pleasant to the first person that happened along after his untimely rousing. However, there was something different about this morning. It felt better, brighter, and he felt more complete than he had these past six years.

There was no ache in his chest, there were no bad dreams, and he felt _whole_.

He slowly opened his eyes, remnants from his dream last night peaking through the sleep still muddling his brain. The images filled his head, and he let himself smile. He hadn't had a dream that good in a long time. For a while, he lay there, replaying those scenes over and over, loving the way Sakura's gaze would shudder or the way her back would arch when he'd skate his fingers down her spine – even if he knew he had been the one to imagine her reactions. But it was probably way past the time he needed to get up and work on his projects.

Shifting his weight to his elbows, he pushed himself up, watching the sheets slip and pool around his waist. A very… slim waist. A very… _naked_ waist.

There were times when Naruto managed to dislodge his clothes in the middle of the night, but when he glanced to his right, his breath stopped completely.

White linen sheets were folded away from the headboard, a pillow tilting away from the cherry wood. Some of the fabric was bunched, but there was a soft indentation of the mattress, indicating that someone had indeed slept next to him the previous night. Naruto tentatively reached out, gently touching the grooves in the sheets.

"Oh _shit_."

His heart was suddenly racing. Had she left? Was she still here? Did she think that what they had done was a mistake? Was she mad at him?

Dammit, he knew he should have talked to her! He knew that he should have said something, anything – to let her know that he didn't think it had been a mistake at all. Even if she did, he needed to at least see her one last time, to try to explain, because if he couldn't, he didn't think he'd be able to deal with her absence again.

Throwing on a random pair of boxers and stumbling as he tried to hurry, Naruto raced out of his room and down the hall, stopping when he stared at the plainness of his kitchen, heart racing. Amidst the white countertops, linoleum flooring, and light chestnut cupboards, a bright spot of something exotic stabbed light through the ordinary furnishing of his kitchen.

Mid-morning sun shone through the bay window over the sink on the left side of the counter and touched the most beautiful hair he had ever seen with soft tendrils of yellow light. The hair was slightly tangled and mussed, but he couldn't decide whether he was delighted he had caused it or relieved that she hadn't brushed her hair.

Slowly, his breath was stolen as he gazed at the wonderful sight before his eyes. Strands of pink hair were tucked behind a pale ear, and slender fingers were whipping up a few more eggs before pouring them into the eggs already cooking in the pan on his stove. Green eyes were focused on the task at hand as she quickly buttered two pieces of toast as soon as the toaster dinged, and he knew that she didn't know he was standing there in the doorway watching her.

But the part about this whole thing that gave him the most pleasure was her outfit. Sure, it was his dream that one day Sakura would be in his house cooking for him (because dear god could she make killer meals), but that wasn't what made his chest tighten. She was dressed in _his_ t-shirt, and it stopped just below the swell of her buttocks and left almost every inch of her soft creamy thighs for him to peruse. It was his favorite too – a grey shirt with a swirl and a logo on the front. She looked amazingly sexy in it.

Within minutes, the eggs were done, and he moved silently towards her, stalking her like a cat. He knew that his hunger had spiked over the past minute or so, but he wasn't hungry for food. As much as he was worried that she would be annoyed by the desire in his eyes, the images from last night were still fresh in his mind. Though they had been tempered in darkness and secrecy, every move and sound that she had made to his ministrations were stored in his mind, and he would never forget them.

"Sakura."

His hands snaked around her waist as he whispered in her ear, and she jumped, thoroughly startled. "Naruto!" she scolded, voice rising in octaves at her apparent surprise. She whirled around, slapping him lightly on his shoulder. "Don't do that!" She sucked in a breath as she read the lust in his gaze, her own green eyes darkened at the blonde's implications.

"You know," he murmured, stepping forward and pressing her back until she hit the counter, "I have been standing here watching you, and I have to say that you are too sexy for your own good."

Cheeks flushed. "Naruto, I was just making breakfast. Besides, I… I just woke up. I don't really look that good." But her eyes were closing and her hips were twirling slightly, seeking to press further against his growing arousal. He groaned. Yes, this woman was definitely too sexy for her own good.

Suddenly, his hands tightened as he pulled her up, setting her down on a clean space of white countertop. She gasped quickly, knees tightening around his torso, the need spreading through her evident in their grip. "Naruto…" she moaned, hands clenching his shoulders as one of his hands grabbed her lower back and shoved her against him. He wanted her to feel what she did to him.

"You're mine. My vixen."

She shuddered, and he smiled to himself. He would use her nickname as often as possible, because he hadn't ever said it enough, and she hadn't heard it enough. It was something explicitly theirs that no one would ever know about. He didn't care if he wasn't the "type" to come up with words or pet names for other girls – if there ever were any other girls. He only had eyes for Sakura, and it was only for her that he would ever say that word.

Her body relaxed, and he pulled away, worried that something might be wrong. A smirk adorned her lips, and her eyes were smoky beneath her lashes. But there was a mischievous sparkle in her gaze as she appraised him.

"What?"

She shook her head but didn't say anything, sliding off of the counter and slipping from his grasp. Her eyes flicked back to his, and she ran her tongue over her lips. He watched, mesmerized until a small laugh bubbled in her throat. He regained his focus as she set the plates of food on the table and sat down.

As they ate, a pleasant silence filled the space. His eyes constantly flicked toward her, watching her, disbelief still grabbing a hold in his mind. She smiled and looked up from her food.

"I'm not a dream, you know."

He swallowed. "You're sure? Positive?"

She chuckled a bit. "Absolutely."

A small smile lit his face as he scratched the back of neck nervously. He looked in her eyes, and he knew that the same thoughts in his mind were in hers as well. They had only dreamed about something like this, and now it was suddenly true. For years he had hoped that he would be able to see her again – even if it was just once – so he could properly apologize.

Now, she was sitting next to him at his small square table, a plate of food that she had made in _his_ kitchen in front of her, the memories from last night rebuilding the tension in the room. They had danced, they had kissed, and they had set things straight between them. But the most important thing was that he had finally been able to show her just how much he loved her.

"Sakura?" A thought had entered his mind, and he had no idea where it came from. It wasn't as if he was dying to know, but he was remembering his thoughts from just days before, and he wondered how true those thoughts had been.

"Hmm?"

"Am I… Was I the only one? Or… was there someone else?"

A moment passed, and her eyes searched her plate, fork swirling as she played with her food. She swallowed thickly, and his heart felt sore as she continued to sit in silence. So he was right – there had been someone else. He turned away, hands on his chair to get away, but a pale hand shot out, wrapping around his wrist and refusing to let go.

His eyes met hers, but he couldn't begin to describe what he saw.

"Please," she whispered, releasing his arm slowly, almost to make sure he didn't suddenly leave. "Let me explain."

It the last thing he wanted to do. He didn't want to hear her talk about a boyfriend she had been with and how it had been amazing. But he knew he owed it to her. It wasn't like he was completely innocent, either. So, he nodded, and slowly relaxed his weight into the chair. She sighed, mumbling a quick "Thanks" before she sat back, running her hands through her hair.

"Um… When I was at the University of Suna, I met this guy. I was a freshman, and I was still upset over what had happened to us. I met him at a party and he swore he was the son of the mayor or the leader or something, and he seemed like a nice guy, so when he asked me out I said yes." She looked up at him, wondering if she should say more, and he wasn't sure if he _could_ hear more. "Well," she continued, nervously tucking a few strands of pink behind her ear. "He was a tool, really, but about a month after we had been together, he – um – talked me into – uh – sleeping with him," she finished haltingly.

Anger curled in his chest. Truth be told it was the last thing he had expected to hear, but it made his blood boil all the same. "Sakura, that—"

She held her hand up. "Don't, Naruto. It's okay; that was a long time ago. It's not something I care to remember that often."

He nodded, but as he placed his anger to the side, curiosity took hold. "What was his name?"

Sharp eyes stared him down.

"I'm not going to do anything to him, I promise," he assured her. When she simply nodded, but didn't offer an answer, he pressed, "Sakura?"

"Well," she said slowly, "his name was Kankuro, but he was really just a tool. He was mainly in college just for the hot girls, and he was a boyfriend that looked good, but didn't do much for you, you know? He actually was the son of Suna's leader Kazuki, which was crazy, but he could be nice if he wanted to be. He had a really nice younger brother named Gaara and an older sister named Temari. I really liked her, too – she helped me get the job at the fire station. Said it was the least she could do for what her idiot of a brother did to me." Sakura laughed a bit.

"Oh."

Awkward silence reigned, and he shoved a bit more food down his throat.

"N-Naruto," she began carefully, and he knew what was coming. "Have you, um, been with anyone else?"

His eyes fell to the table. This was not a question that he wanted to answer, but Sakura had answered his, and he needed to do the same for her. "Once. Only once."

She nodded, turning her head away, and he rushed to explain. "Tenten's father sent me on a trip to get sponsors, and one of my stops had been Suna. I had thought I had seen you one afternoon with someone else, but it was a different girl that had dyed her hair. I drank a lot that night and slept with this girl."

"Ah." Sakura was silent for a moment before, "What was her name?"

He rubbed his neck nervously. Truth was he didn't really remember her name. "Um… It was something like Ma… Mana, no… Mat—"

"Matsuri?" Sakura said quickly.

"Y-Yeah! Yeah, that was it." Naruto glanced her way. "How'd you know that?"

"Well, Kankuro's brother Gaara got a new girlfriend about a year ago, and her name is Matsuri. I've met her, too…"

Naruto cleared his throat. "Well, that's, uh…"

"Awkward," Sakura giggled. Her eyes suddenly glinted. "Ironic, this whole situation, isn't it?"

"You find this funny?"

"Of course," she smiled.

"And you're not mad?" he verified, leaning closer to her.

"Should I be? Do I have anything to fear from Matsuri?" she challenged, leaning towards him.

"Definitely not," he said indignantly, but his face crept closer. "But I am jealous of this Kankuro fellow…"

"Oh?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

He stood, suddenly grabbing her wrists and pulling her flush against him. "Because," he whispered, mouth hovering just over her skin. "You're mine."

She shivered.

"All mine."

"And I'm… the only one?"

Despite the fact that she had been playful moments before, he knew that she had been worried. He pressed his tongue against her neck. "Of course." She needed reassuring, and he would give it to her. "You're my vixen," he said softly, and he felt the small smile spread across her face.

A leg hooked behind his waist, opening her to him as his lower regions jerked to life. God, she was amazing. Her body was soft and pliant, melting into him and driving him crazy. Her tongue could make trails of fire all over his body, and her hands sent pleasure he couldn't have imagined racing in shivers over his skin. Pale skin was as creamy as it looked, and while her legs were soft, the developed muscles gripped him so sweetly it drove his mind past all thought.

His hands travelled down her sides, making their way to her ass. He pressed her against him, wanting her to feel him, and her breath hitched. She was the only thing he wanted, and he needed to show her that.

He grabbed her thighs and lifted her up until both legs were gripping his waist. She smiled at him as if she were a devilishly sly kitten, hands sifting through his hair as she waited for him to walk to the room. Once there, he set her gently on the bed, hurrying to engage her lips in a fiery kiss as he pulled at the hem of her shirt.

By the time they broke apart to dislodge her shirt and his boxers, both were panting. Her hands traced the contours of his stomach, and he watched her tongue dart out of her mouth to lick her lips, eyes smoky green as she gazed over his entire body. Heat stirred in his belly, and he darted in, pouring every bit of passion he contained into the way their lips were moving, and the way his tongue explored her mouth, mimicking what he wanted to do to her with his sex.

There was no one he wanted more than Sakura, and she needed to know that. He gently pulled away, kissing down her body as his hands stilled her bucking hips. Her milky skin was perfect, something like warm silk that met his fingertips with the softest of touches. Her breasts were perfect, even if they were relatively small. They fit in his hands as he kneaded the sensitive mounds of flesh, her moans and responses to his movements driving him further and further from the edge of sanity.

He leaned closer, removing one hand from her breasts and letting his breath ghost over the skin. She arched into him, shuddering as his mouth gently suckled around her nipple. "Naruto!" she cried, hands gripping his hair.

A smile pulled at his lips, and he let his free hand trace gently up her inner thigh, and her leg tightened in anticipation. Slowly, his thumb swirled around her folds, driving her to near insanity from the pleasure he was evoking. Her muscles were quivering, and he carefully swirled a finger around the sensitive knot of nerves before his finger slowly entered her once, twice. She cried out as silky heat spilled onto his hand, and the recklessness of her release had him panting and fighting for the control that was slipping from his grasp even as he tried to grab for it.

"Naruto, please," she pleaded as he pressed his hand against her, keeping the hum of her climax pulsing through her veins.

He removed his finger and pressed himself against her, the rhythmic clenching of hidden muscles teasing him as the last few drops of her release slipped over his aroused flesh. He knew she was ready; she was hot and wet, her hands were gripping, trying to bring him closer, and she was locking her ankles behind his waist.

Finally he couldn't take it anymore. "Sakura," he whispered, and as she looked at him, he knew that she would be the only one he would ever want. Her eyes stayed locked with his, and when he plunged into her, her eyes widened as her lips curled into a sultry smile. Eyelids fluttered over hazy green eyes as the pleasure slicked through her body, and she undulated her hips, arching back as the angle sent knew sensations thrumming through her veins.

Slowly, he built a rhythm, kissing along her neck and her jaw as he tried to hold himself up with his arms as best as he could. Her nails were drawing thin lines of painful pleasure over his back, and with each thrust her thighs tightened, inner muscles gripping him as if to keep him securely sheathed inside of her.

Each time he entered her, the need grew until he thought he couldn't stand it anymore. The intensity of her cries and the desire burning in the air saturated them, but he didn't just want her – he wanted _all_ of her, and he would never in his life get enough of her. He wanted every bit of herself that she had to offer and more, and he knew that he wanted her utterly surrendered to him.

With one more thrust, she came, the clenching of her muscles squeezing and pushing him over the edge until he couldn't see anything past the haze of pleasure that felt something like the softest of skin and looked like the pinkest of hair. She was panting, and so was he. Sweat matted their hair, but despite the heat, he was smiling as he carefully pulled out of her.

She turned her face towards him, eyes glazed with pleasure, and he couldn't help himself. He reached over, pushing back some of her hair, and she closed her eyes with a smile, leaning into the touch. A soft, pale hand rested over his, holding his hand there, and in one instant, her smile was dazzling. It would have dimmed the sun, and it mesmerized him. She was simply beautiful, even with her hair disheveled and her body coated with perspiration, but _he_ had been the cause of it, and there was no better thought than that.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, and her cheeks flushed a delicious red. While she didn't seem to fully accept the compliment, she was smiling all the same.

They laid there for a few minutes, and he caught his breath as he took in just how alluring Sakura looked. Her other hand caressed his cheek as she scooted a bit closer. Her smile changed to a mischievous grin. "Let's do that again," she giggled, and he smiled widely.

He had no objection to that wish.

00000

"I'm coming; I'm coming! Geez, hold on!"

This hadn't been a good day. Sakura hadn't called once, and Ino was sure that her pink haired friend would have phoned to at least tell her that she was all right. But no. Sakura just had to go and be stubborn and not call. It was eight at night, and the sun was almost completely set, and not one word from Ino's friend.

_That stupid, idiotic, bitchy, horrible, pink haired Forehead!_ she shouted in her head.

"What?" Ino growled, throwing her door open. Suddenly, it dawned on Ino exactly what she was looking at, and she blinked. Many times. "Forehead?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Ino-pig. I expected something a bit more intelligent but I guess that's all I'm gonna get."

Suddenly, Ino moved at the speed of lightning, throwing her arms around her paramedic friend. "Forehead! Do you know how worried I have been?" she yelled, pulling back to stare her friend down. "I didn't know what was going on or how you've been or if you and Naruto have worked anything out—"

The blonde was cut off from her rant when Sakura pointed behind her. On his newly painted motorbike sat Naruto, and he waved when Ino peered around Sakura to look at him. Ino waved back.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"So."

"So."

"Was the sex good?"

"Ino!" Sakura scolded.

The blonde laughed. "Come on in." Ino moved aside as Sakura stepped over the threshold, looking back for a moment and waving at Naruto before letting the blond woman close the door. "So, how long are you here for? I take it not long since Naruto is still waiting outside."

Sakura smiled. "Well, I came to get my bras and underwear. And a t-shirt or two and some shorts. Since Naruto and I aren't going out too much, I figure I can wear his stuff." The pink haired woman glanced over Ino's wardrobe. "Guys do like it when you wear their stuff…"

"Then why do you think I'm wearing Shika's favorite green shirt?" Ino said. A crack of laughter burst from her throat when she saw Sakura's expression, and soon, the medic was laughing with her.

"Yeah, yeah," Sakura smiled as she walked toward the bedroom to gather her things. Ino followed.

"You know, you never answered my question."

"What question?"

"Oh, don't be stupid, Forehead."

"What?"

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about."

The medic sighed heavily. "Fine, fine. Well, the sex was… It's…" Two pairs of eyes met, and a large smile grew on both women's faces. Ino crossed her arms, eyes shining with laughter.

"That good, huh?"

Sakura blushed and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Well, we've been at it for about the whole day."

"WHAT?"

"Ino!" Sakura whispered hoarsely, cheeks reddening even more.

"Oh, come one, Forehead! How do you manage to do that? Shika always complains that it's too troublesome or he needs a nap! How in the world did you manage to get Naruto to get it up so many times in one day?"

"We weren't having sex every minute!" The medic crossed her arms. "We would eat in between and stare at each other and then we couldn't stand it anymore so we'd start making out and then we'd go the bedroom. I only had his shirt on and he had boxers so there were hardly any clothes involved…"

Ino held up a hand. "Just stop talking. I hate you. Shika is so lazy, but I guess I'll just have to do something else."

"Stare at him. Hungrily," Sakura giggled.

The blond woman threw up her hands. "Great, now I'm taking sex lessons of all things from _you_."

"Hey!"

"Well, you've got to admit that I have way more experience than you."

"True, but I'm just saying staring works for Naruto."

"Maybe it'll work for Shika…"

"That's all I'm saying."

"Ugh, fine. And here. I never use it, and neither does Shika, so we won't miss it," Ino murmured, holding up a backpack she had managed to pick up from the hall closet. Sakura smiled, eyes shining.

"Thanks, Pig."

"Psh, no problem, Forehead." Ino tilted her head as she studied her friend, a knowing smile crossing her face. "You look different, Sakura. Different, but a better different. You look… happy."

"D-Do I?" Sakura muttered as she stood up, eyes wide.

Ino nodded.

"But…"

"Sakura," Ino chided softly, and the medic turned troubled eyes on her friend. "Listen to me. If a guy is able to make you feel this happy to the point where you're glowing, then don't let him go."

The pink haired woman sighed, but nodded. "Thank you for understanding, Ino. I know that you just wanted to make me happy at the bar and stuff…"

"I knew you didn't come here just to see me."

"But, Ino, I did want to see you!" Sakura protested.

"I know," Ino nodded. "But I also knew that you still loved that idiot, and if you didn't have my help of seeing him, neither of you were going to be very happy. I was just being a friend."

Sakura smiled, the gesture reaching her eyes. Ino was such a good friend. "Thank you, Ino. Just… thank you so much!" The medic reached forward, enclosing her best friend in a tight hug, and Ino reciprocated.

The blonde pulled away. "Now go. Naruto's waiting, and I know you don't want to keep him too long."

Eyes shining, Sakura nodded, hurrying out the door and calling a swift goodbye to her friend. Ino watched her long time friend jump onto the back of Naruto's motorcycle, backpack securely on her shoulders as the blond man powered his bike and took off for his home.

Ino sighed, closing her door and putting her hands on her hips. Well, Sakura had said something about staring hungrily at one's partner, but it was totally unfair that Sakura was having way more sex when Ino was the one who was married, goddammit. Then that just meant that Ino would be putting on her best lingerie.

A devilish smile adorned the blonde's face as she walked down the hall.

"Shika!"

00000

**A/N:** Yes, it's finally done! Oh my goodness, this chapter took forever! Like I was saying before, sorry about the awfully long wait, but I couldn't seem to get anything right for this chapter. Please please please let me know what you guys thought of my lemons because I still think I'm not quite fit to write them at all, but I would like my readers' opinions.

Thanks everyone for bearing with me and reading my stories.

- wolf's paradise


	5. Day 5

**A/N:** Hmm. Yes, yes, I know I'm horrible person because I haven't been updating but here's another chapter! Well, I am sorry that it's taken so long for this chapter to get written, but I've honestly had no muse for this story. It all seemed to be transferred to another story I'm working on about Minato and Kushina and them in jail… The story's pretty cool in my opinion, and maybe one of these days I'll get it out and finish it lol.

Enjoy this new chapter of Forbidden Love everyone!

00000

_When I see your face there's not a thing that I would change. 'Cause you're amazing just the way you are… You know I'd never ask you to change… just stay the same…_

_When I see you, I run out of words to say… You brighten my day… I never want to see you cry… You're so beautiful…_

_I missed you so much… But now that you're here I just feel like I'm constantly dreaming… And it's like every time I turn around I fall in love and find my heart face down… Sometimes I think best if left with the memory… But every time I turn around I fall in love…_

Songs: _Just the Way You Are_ (Bruno Mars), _Beautiful_ (Akon), and _Feelin Way Too Damn Good_ (Nickelback)

00000

5. Day 5

Haruno Kirami was a predictable woman, though she did do the occasional unexpected act. According to her, she wasn't complicated or difficult to figure out, which – in a sense of speaking – she wasn't. However, the difficulty with Haruno Kirami was her temper and penchant for always thinking she was right.

Her daughter had gotten her father's sharp mind but her mother's temper as well as her looks, which Kirami did consider a good thing since the woman would hope her daughter would not look like a man.

She wanted the best for her daughter, something that Kirami hadn't had or been able to achieve. Her father had never supported her, and her mother had pined away after he had left. Kirami wanted her daughter to do her best, to do something important, and to find a man that was respectable, could provide for her, that wouldn't leave her.

And that man was _not_ Uzumaki Naruto. She hadn't cared how much her daughter had supposedly "loved" the boy and that it was her fault he and Sakura had had that big fight that had seen them broken up and her daughter packing up to go to college in Suna. Their love was fickle, and he had made her blind with promises and silly fantasies. He couldn't provide for Sakura.

Besides, he didn't have any parents. True, she knew that his father had led the village for a while, and had done very well at that. She had liked Minato; he was a very good man. But that was where her admiration stopped. She would never say a good thing about him again.

She had been discarded. Perhaps that was why she harbored ill will against his offspring, but she would rather not think of the times that, she had to admit, had brought out her true nature.

There wasn't a chance in hell that she would allow her daughter to marry someone that wasn't worthwhile. It didn't matter that Sakura was now twenty-five. Kirami was determined to make sure that her daughter would have someone that was actually worthy of her.

Of course, that was where problems arose. She hadn't talked to Sakura for almost six years, and every time she had called, her daughter hadn't answered. She knew Sakura was upset with what had happened six years ago, but that was no reason to ignore her mother. Every daughter loved their mother.

But this was the one time that Kirami was being unpredictable.

Normally, she would call her daughter's cell phone, which was probably why Sakura never answered. Two simple words: caller ID. But she knew that her daughter's apartment phone did _not_ have caller ID. So she would _have_ to pick up.

Quickly, Kirami dialed the number, holding her phone to her ear with a small smirk on her face. She _would_ talk to her daughter. And there was always the chance that Sakura would hang up once she realized it was her mother, but Kirami wasn't too worried about it. If it came down to it then she would just drive to Suna and visit.

The two towns weren't that far away.

For a while, the phone just rang continuously, but soon, a small beep echoed through the phone and Sakura's voice came on.

"_Hi! You've reached Haruno Sakura. I'm not here right now on occasion of a trip to Kiri, so if it's important please call my cell phone. If you don't know the number, then please leave your contact information and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!"_

Slowly, the handset slipped from Kirami's ear and clattered to the floor. Her ears were ringing as the words sifted through her mind again, and anger ran bright and hot through her blood.

Ino was Sakura's best friend and always would be. If Sakura was taking a trip to Kiri then that meant she had to go through Konoha first, and Kirami knew that Sakura would visit her best friend.

If she had the time.

That was the deal breaker. Sakura could be in Konoha, yet she couldn't be as well. It just depended on what her daughter would do. But Kirami would bet almost her entire life's savings that Sakura would visit Ino.

And that meant that she would see Naruto.

Kirami set her mouth. There was no way she was going to allow that. She had already worked hard to make that picture believable, to make her daughter believe that Naruto was the same bastard his father was, and she'd be damned if all her hard work went to waste.

Quickly, she picked up the phone and placed it on the cradle, moving around her small house and picking up anything she might need and placing it in her purse. There weren't too many of the children's parents that still liked her, so she would need to venture out and get the information herself.

But that was just fine. She felt it was better that way. Then she wouldn't have to hear it from someone else with the possibility that information had gotten mixed up in delivery or the person had forgotten many things that could have been important.

No, it was better if Kirami did it herself.

Sakura was her only daughter. She needed to know that she deserved someone wealthy, someone that could provide for her and be respectful enough to keep a marriage intact, even if they didn't really love one another.

Her hand shook as she reached out to turn the knob of the door. She sighed heavily, moving that hand and running it through her hair. She supposed she should be glad, because without the man she had married, Sakura wouldn't have been born.

But she wondered sometimes what her life would have been like if that _tramp_ hadn't come to vacation in Konoha. Then maybe…

Kirami frowned, shaking her head and wrenching the door open. No. She would not think about that. She was fifty-five years old, and there was no way she would spend her days reminiscing. She had to fix this problem with her daughter.

Now.

With that in mind, Kirami slammed the door shut.

00000

The sun was bright but warm, and her entire body felt like jell-o. Naruto's body was spooning hers almost as if he wished to protect her from anything and everything, and his hand was warm and comforting over he stomach. She was far beyond sated, but as Sakura blinked, her stomach tightened with want. And it didn't help that all she had on was underwear and Naruto's t-shirt.

She let out a shaky breath and turned around, stomach dropping. Of course Naruto would be asleep and not even know what he was doing to her. He looked peaceful, and although she didn't want to disturb him, it was morning, she was awake, and her body was begging for more.

Just the thought of everything that had happened yesterday was enough to make her lust spike, and she let a hand graze over Naruto's bare side. He didn't even move, but she tilted her head, tongue darting out and flicking over his neck.

Well. That got him to move.

It was the smallest sound, but she heard it, and he stirred lightly. Her other hand reached down, palming him through his boxers as her teeth found his ear and bit gently.

Naruto's entire body jolted. His eyes fluttered open as a groan rumbled in his throat, and he sucked in a breath before the realization hit him and he buried his face into the pillow. Sleepily, he moved his hand until it was resting on Sakura's waist, and he let out a shaky breath through his nose.

"No more," he moaned. "Too tired…"

She giggled. "Time to get up."

"Nuh uh," he protested, keeping his eyes shut and running his hands over his face. His gaze was bleary as he blinked. She smiled at him, and he gave a large groan. "Ne, Sakura, I'm tired."

There was a tiny snort, but she leaned over him, green eyes sparkling. "No, you're not," she said, hand tucking beneath his boxers to ghost over his erection.

His back arched slightly. "Just…Just morning wood."

She leaned down, lips brushing over his. "Naruto…" she murmured, watching the miniscule shiver wrack his body. She pressed her lips to his nose, to his cheeks, and finally to his lips, gently trying to coax his mouth open with her tongue. Slowly, Naruto's hands came up, pushing underneath her t-shirt and slipping up her waist.

A large body suddenly loomed over her, and she smiled widely, eyes half-closed and glowing. She could see it in the reflection of his eyes. She didn't know what it was, but her chest was tightening in a wonderful, unbearable sort of way. The way it did when she'd left, but with a lot less sorrow.

Then, his lips met hers again, and his hands slowed when her fingers crept up his neck to cradle his face. She welcomed the weight of him on top of her, reveling in the feeling of his arousal pressing against her.

Within minutes, the shirt of Naruto's that she wore was discarded on the floor, as was the pair of boxers that had rested over his hips.

They took their time making love, his body burning inside of hers in a slow, sweetly building tempo until they both couldn't hold on any longer. Her release signaled his, his nose buried into her sweaty neck as he panted from the exertion, her fingers rubbing soothing circles over his scalp as she, too, breathed quickly.

Nothing needed to be said as he slowly shifted his weight onto his arms, still buried inside of her, and made sure to meet her gaze. There was no doubt in her mind – not right now – about how much this man meant to her, and how much she meant to him. Cupping his face in her hands again, she leaned forward to press her lips to his.

But as they kissed languidly, there was no hurry, no rush. They had done so much yesterday, and it was as if they were just remembering, exploring, making sure the previous day wasn't a figment of their imagination. Slowly, Sakura pulled away, a contented smile lifting the corners of her lips.

He was smiling as well, blue eyes a mirror of the satisfaction that she felt as they swirled with something more, something deeper. She was almost afraid to question it further, but he opened his mouth to speak.

"What do you want to do today?"

She thought a moment, squirming a bit when she felt her skin sticking to his. "Don't know. How about I think while I'm in the shower?"

Naruto's face brightened. "Can I join you?"

"Course not," she scolded, sticking her tongue out. Naruto just chuckled as he gently slid out and released her from the cage of his body. She stood slowly, wincing slightly at the ache in her abdomen and lower back.

The orange haired man didn't seem to notice, his eyes closed and arms spread eagle, the same position as when he'd laid back on the bed. She quirked her head, but decided not to pay attention to it as she stepped into the shower.

After a long day of their "activities," the hot water felt like a massage of softly falling rain droplets, washing the exhaustion and the soreness down the drain. She'd brought her own things over from Ino's house, and was out of the bathroom in fifteen minutes. It had been hard to leave the comfort of the shower. However, it had allowed her time to think, and she quickly mussed her hair before wrapping the towel around herself and walking into Naruto's room and leaning against the doorframe.

His eyes opened and he sat up onto his elbows, his expression turning wary at seeing the smile on her face.

"I've got it," she said, barely able to keep the excitement out of her voice.

"Uh…yeah?"

"Mhmm," she nodded quickly, biting her lip in anticipation, and this time, she couldn't contain her enthusiasm. "Hiking."

It took him a moment, and she guessed that her request had caught him completely off guard. Then, a smile wide enough to match her own stretched across his face. "Perfect."

00000

Thirty minutes later, the two of them stepped outside, him in a loose pair of khaki shorts and an orange t-shirt, and her in the shorts she had brought (the _cute_ pair) with a thin white tank top. Both had sneakers on, and Sakura didn't even think about it until she was standing face to face with Naruto's bike.

She propped her hands on her hips. "Well, this was unexpected."

"Huh?" was all Naruto managed.

Her lips twisted into a wry smile. Or pout. She wasn't quite sure. "This is dangerous, you know." When the expression on his face only got even more confused, Sakura huffed out an annoyed breath. "We'll be riding a bike and we don't even have proper protection on!"

Suddenly, Naruto's face split into a wide grin, eyes leering over at her, and she expelled a frustrated breath, even though she felt the blush paint her cheeks. "Shut up, Naruto," she growled, but there was no bite to her tone.

He chuckled. "I didn't even say anything."

"You didn't have to!"

Another laugh. "Here." He handed her a helmet, and she took it quickly, shooting him an annoyed look, but he merely brushed it off. Placing the helmet over her head, Sakura proceeded to straddle the bike, arms wrapping loosely around Naruto's waist. His fingers brushed her wrist lightly, sending a shiver racing through her body before he started the machine and gunned the engine, the loud roar resounding in her ears but doing little to keep her mind off of the low hum in her body.

In seconds they were pulling out of the drive and racing down the street, the exhilarating feeling spreading through Sakura's body like a disease. She had always secretly had a thing for guys and motorcycles, and to have found out the night before last that Naruto had one made her lust for him spike that much more.

What could she say? Guys on motorcycles were hot, and it had especially gotten to her when she had noticed the paint job adorning Naruto's bike. It made her realize that he had still thought about her even after it all.

Her hands tightened around his waist slightly, but if he noticed, he didn't say anything.

The drive was quick, and in no time they stood in front of the winding trails, a mixture of reddish-tan rocks and jade green bushes, the occasional bright deciduous or dark pine tree adding an extra splash of color. Sakura closed her eyes, inhaling, letting the scents of crushed sage and clay dust swirl around her.

She absolutely loved her job as a fire paramedic, but there was also something about hiking that set her body on fire. It made the blood pump faster in her veins, it made excitement flow like a rushing river, and even if it made her pant because she was out of shape, the burn in her lungs always felt good – like she had accomplished something big. She was always satisfied after hiking.

Just like before, the trails were calling to her, beckoning her to follow its winding path and succumb to the glory of it all. So when she smiled, looking back mischievously over her shoulder, she couldn't help it.

"Catch me?"

Then, she was off, running up the slightly rocky dirt path for all she was worth, listening and finally hearing Naruto's footsteps quickly following her. She didn't stop to look back. She pressed herself further, plunging forward without an ounce of doubt, complete confidence in the way she would dart from rock to rock on a downhill slope and leap up the sides or created stairways on the way up.

It felt like she was nineteen again, running up the beaten paths with Naruto behind her, complaining that she was going too fast. She would merely shout back that he was fat and slow and definitely needed to work out more (even though she _knew_ he worked out _plenty_).

The rush and the high she got from doing this was in danger of consuming her, but she ran towards it, letting the lack of air burn her lungs, the scents sharp with pine and sage. There were movements all around her, lizards and rabbits and other animals darting out of her way as she lurched up a large rock, getting her feet underneath her and continuing onward.

Naruto was catching up, his breath fairly light as he followed her, and she chanced a quick glance over her shoulder. He was watching her, blue eyes impossibly bright until they met hers. Then, they were _brilliant_ as a large, warm smile threatened to split his face wide open.

She smiled back, her joy at this shining through her eyes as she turned away again, quickly hopping down another slope and winding to the right only to go uphill again. This was steeper, but she charged up it, too. Suddenly, it straightened, and the trees thinned.

A quick jump over another rock, and she was suddenly at the top of Hokage Mountain. The hike had barely taken them ten minutes, and it took the slow, methodical hikers around twenty to thirty minutes to get up most of it.

Sakura was breathing hard, but there was nothing but excitement humming through her body as she gazed over Konaha from her perch. Naruto slowly stepped up behind her, looking with her.

"I never thought I'd miss this place," Sakura murmured, voice only slightly unsteady. It had been so long since she'd been up this high, since she had felt the euphoria at looking upon a place that she had loved so much just to leave it all behind without a backward glance.

Everything was beautiful. From the tall, deciduous trees to the old, slightly Victorian style homes that dotted Konoha here and there. There were the cherry trees, petals no longer in bloom since the middle of May, but there were still a few clinging to the branches.

The roads in the main portion of the city were paved, but after that, there was only that thin strip of two-lane asphalt. Everything else was a dirt road. And from here she could see the only two stoplights that Konoha possessed.

Suna was so much bigger – so much larger that she had become accustomed to such a vastness of space. While the city wasn't clustered with buildings and homes, it was large and busy, enough for her job to keep her busy and enough to where she suddenly realized just how much she missed the quiet life. The peacefulness of a city so small.

"Why not?" Naruto's voice floated through her thoughts, and she had to replay the last few moments to remember what she'd said.

"I think because I always thought it was too small. I always wanted to get out." And she had. She'd hated the diminutive size of Konoha, knowing it was too tiny for her to have a happy life with Naruto _and_ be away from her pestering mother.

"Always?"

Sakura didn't need to look at him. She could hear the apprehension and caution in Naruto's voice, as well as the hope. A small smile ghosted over her lips.

"Always," she answered back. "I never thought there'd be enough space for us to be in the same place as my mother."

There was a quiet, breathy sigh, and Sakura knew that Naruto had been worried that she had always thought of leaving him, too. But when she was nineteen that had never crossed her mind – never. Not until the incident with the picture…

"It is rather small, then," he chuckled lightly.

She turned back to him, sun overhead, shadows obscuring the unease in her eyes. "Are you sure this is okay, Naruto?"

He looked at odds with her question, slightly flinching when she asked such a thing because he knew what she meant. He thrust his hands in the pockets of his shorts, and let out a frustrated breath. They hadn't talked this far about the whole situation yet.

And Hinata was going to be back in two days.

"I'm an asshole," he grumbled.

Sakura let out something in between a soft laugh and a soft snort. "And I'm a bitch."

Naruto shook his head, edges of his lips quirking, but almost immediately, they fell back into a frown. "Before I even knew you were here, I had planned on breaking up with her. I was tired of using her…as a distraction. But I…didn'tbreak up with her over the phone because she was visiting family and I felt she deserved better…than…that…" he slowly trailed off. A wry laugh cut from his throat. "Didn't do much good, huh?" he asked, blue eyes cutting to Sakura's.

"It's not just your fault," Sakura said quietly, a soft smile on her lips. "It's mine, too."

He opened his mouth to speak, but Sakura held out a hand. "I could have said no." She paused for a while, staring at him, willing him to read the expression lingering on the surface of her eyes. "But I didn't. I couldn't."

"Neither could I," he murmured softly, taking a few steps forward until he was close enough to fold her in his arms.

"I feel like such a terrible friend," Sakura sighed.

"You are," Naruto laughed slightly, grin widening at the glare Sakura shot him. "But I'm her boyfriend, and I'm being worse at the moment."

Sakura nodded, still not feeling quite at ease, but feeling better. She just couldn't seem to conjure up the proper feelings of guilt at her part in this whole situation. Oh, guilt was there, but it wasn't as powerful as it should have been.

Leisurely, she lifted her hands, placing them on Naruto's back and drawing light circles with her fingertips. She loved the feel of him against her – him taller and harder, more muscled, and her – small and thin, though not without a fair amount of muscles herself.

It all just felt…right.

"Sakura," Naruto whispered, his breath ghosting over her ear sending shivers skittering down her spine and anticipation swirling in her gut.

She leaned back, opening her eyes and staring at Naruto. She was still apprehensive about the whole thing – she had never wanted to be the type of woman to steal a man away from someone else. Yet it almost seemed…inevitable. Hinata was so nice and kind, and she didn't deserve any of this. Not at all. But it was like a current of the fiercest electricity pulling her and Naruto together, and they couldn't stop it.

Besides, she was selfish, and _God_ she had missed Naruto so much it hurt. Without even realizing it, she knew that no matter what happened, she would always love him.

Gently, his lips brushed hers, and she sighed, letting her previous thoughts bleed away. All that mattered at the moment was Naruto – the way his hands settled on her hips, the way his mouth covered hers, and the way he felt against her. She had missed this so much. She had missed _him_.

Naruto's arm slid around her waist, tightening and lifting her off of her feet. She laughed against his lips, the elation bubbling in her chest unstoppable.

"What?" he asked when pulled away.

A smile still spread her lips, and she shook her head. "Nothing."

For a moment, they just stood there smiling. Then, Naruto spoke. "What do you want to do?"

"Hmm," she thought aloud, swaying in his arms and laughing as she did so. It was amazing how happy she was – such a sharp contrast to the way she'd felt days ago. "Let's get some ice cream."

"Done," Naruto chuckled.

He let her go, but his hand lingered on her back, like he wasn't sure if she was there or that he wasn't quite ready to let her go. Not that she was going anywhere. She looked over her shoulder, giving him a smoldering glance, giggling when his eyes darkened. Her pace quickened, and she was laughing hysterically as Naruto gave chase and they raced down the path, him quickly catching up to her and pulling her back against him.

God, she hadn't laughed this much in so long.

Naruto was smiling, too, but suddenly, her back was against a tree, and he was flush against her, blue eyes glazed but glittering, and it made her stomach tighten. Quickly, his mouth was on hers, and in mere moments her laughter was forgotten, replaced by the fire heating her inside out, the passion that she had come to recognize only happened with Naruto making her blood boil.

This right here – being in his arms – was where she was meant to be. She just knew it.

Slowly, Naruto slipped his tongue inside her mouth, and she welcomed it, her body reacting, pressing closer, and she couldn't get enough of him. She had a feeling that she'd never get enough of him. Not ever.

"Ahem."

Both of them suddenly pulled away from each other, Sakura's face going red and Naruto's cheeks turning pink when they saw two ladies standing off to the side of them.

One of them had her silver-grey hair tied into a tight bun, teal dangling earrings hanging from the long lobes of her ears. Her eyes were almost shut and the lines around her face made her frown look even deeper.

And she hadn't changed a bit.

"U-Utatane-sensei?" Sakura nearly choked out.

The old lady had been her homeroom teacher in eighth grade and her biology teacher in ninth. And had just seen her making out with Naruto… Sakura felt her cheeks flush.

"Been a long time, Haruno-san," Utatane murmured. "This is my daughter."

Sakura nodded. "Hello," she swallowed, acknowledging the younger lady next to Utatane. Then, she turned back to her old teacher. "H-How are you, Utatane-sensei?"

Utatane huffed and turned away. "I'm a part of the school council now. Although I sit with Mitokado Homura since he is on the council as well as the leadership council for the city of Konoha."

"You're… You're an advisor to the Hokage now?" Sakura asked incredulously, barely able to believe it. Utatane Koharu was a _horrible_ teacher if Sakura's memory served her correctly, and she could just imagine the torture the Hokage had to go through if that old prune was on the council.

"Is that a problem, Haruno-san?"

She cleared her throat to keep her thoughts to herself, and shook her head vehemently. "No, Utatane-sensei."

The moment turned silent, and finally, after a few unbearable minutes, Sakura cleared her throat. "Well, we should probably be going. Naruto? It was good to see you again, Utatane-sensei," he said quickly, grabbing Naruto's hand, ducking her head, and hurriedly walking away from the two ladies.

Once a safe distance away, she leaned against a tree, resting her head on the bark and breathing deeply. "That was horrible," she whined, her face still heated and flushed as he remembered that she had been _making out with Naruto in front of her eighth grade teacher_. That wasn't embarrassing whatsoever.

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah. I remember her, but I was too shocked to say anything."

Sakura cracked an eye open and glared. Naruto just laughed again.

"So. How about that ice cream?"

"Yeah." Sakura couldn't help but smile, taking Naruto's offered hand as they continued slowly down the trail.

00000

They ended up at a frozen yogurt shop due to Naruto's forgetfulness that _somehow_ Konoha didn't have an ice cream shop. Sakura sat there, munching on the pieces of fruit and cheesecake she had put in her yogurt cup, baffled.

"How could this place _not_ have an ice cream shop?" She swallowed. "It's just… Well, it's horrible.

Naruto chuckled. "I know. This used to be Teuchi's ice cream shop across the way from his Ichiraku Ramen place. I guess he had to close the ice cream shop down and it soon became someone else's yogurt place."

"Oh," Sakura murmured, drawing out the single syllable. "I remember now. We'd go to Teuchi's a lot when we were little – I just never paid any attention to it."

The blonde nodded, and for awhile, they sat there in comfortable silence. She looked across at Naruto, glad that she was here with him. At the moment, she didn't care if the situation in which she found herself blew up in her face. It was worth it if she could be this close to Naruto again.

"Want to see how the place has changed?" Naruto asked conversationally, their yogurt almost gone.

Though it had only been six years and Konoha wasn't that big, she knew there had to be changes to the town she found she really did miss. She wanted to see Chouji's new restaurant and how Kiba's kennels of buying and selling rescue dogs was fairing.

She really did miss everyone.

So she nodded, her face smiling when Naruto reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her down the sidewalk. He showed her everything that had happened – even the addition of a small community pool near the outskirts of the main town. It was strange seeing new things popping up in Konoha without seeing it being built first, but as they continued walking, she felt her pockets, suddenly frowning.

"What?" Naruto asked, concerned. She noticed him send a glare at a passerby, and lifted a questioning brow. "Nothing," he grumbled.

"I think I left my phone at your house."

"Not a big deal, though, right?" Naruto shrugged.

"No, it's fine."

"Alright."

"Over here is Chouji's restaurant…"

He continued to explain some of the other new additions, and she held back a giggle when she would see him shoot a glare at a guy passing by. She wasn't stupid. She could see their appreciative glances her way, and while it wasn't something she liked all the time, she felt flattered at Naruto's apparent possessiveness.

A thin hand grabbed his arm, and he stopped midsentence, swinging around to look at Sakura. She smiled happy, quickly and gently touching her lips to his in a chaste kiss. But she pulled back slowly, a light flush on her cheeks.

Naruto's lips spread into a crooked smile. "What was that for?"

She shrugged. "Just being you."

"You're weird," he chuckled.

Another shrug, but she hit him only lightly on the shoulder. "Yeah, but you are, too."

"Fine, fine."

It didn't matter that they had been together for only the better part of two days. When his fingertips grazed over the back of her hand in the simplest of fashions, her heart stuttered in her chest. His fingers entwined with hers, and when she looked at him, his eyes were sparkling, just like they had been so long ago.

Her heart skipped a beat.

God, she really did love him.

00000

The house was empty, quiet, but no less homey for the fact that it was missing its occupants. It was fairly dark, but it was definitely well cared for on closer look, and a much warmer place than most other homes.

For a good ten minutes, the phone had been ringing. The machine beeped, signaling the caller to leave a message, and this time, a quiet, shy voice fell over the speaker.

"_Ohayo, N-Naruto-kun, i-it's Hinata-chan. You m-must be outside w-working on Kiba-kun's m-motorcycle, but I j-just wanted to l-let you know t-that Otou-san said I c-could come b-back early. I k-know I wasn't s-supposed to be h-home until the d-day after tomorrow, but I t-thought I would s-surprise you. I…I m-miss you, N-Naruto-kun. Sayonara."_

00000

**A/N:** So the plot thickens. I wrote this chapter in tiny little spurts, and finally it's done! I hope you guys liked this chapter, even though there isn't much to it except it being one of those mid-way chapters in which nothing happens but it's still needed for the story to flow relatively smoothly. And Sakura's mother is finally introduced, so all in all, I'd say it's a fairly productive chapter. What'd you guys think? Please comment and review!

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**NOTICE:** Make sure to vote for my poll guys! I wanna know what you think! It's been up there for a while, but I want to get all my chapters out so everyone who reads can have a chance to vote, and not those who just happen upon it. Thanks!


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